BACKGROUNDHope for Future Day Care Center Project was established in 2018 by a local organization, the New Hope for the Poor with financial and guidance from Dr. Steve, Dianna and Nelly.
The center is located at Ghona village popularly known as
Chekereni, Kahe East ward in Moshi District Council, 50 kilometers south-east
of Moshi Town along the Moshi-Dar-Es-Salaam highway.
The village is inhabited by mixed ethnic groups which are the Chaga, Kamba, Pare, Kahe, and many others migrating for agri-business, small shops, cross-border businesses and restaurants.
The village is a strategic business for cross-border interactions since it lies just a few kilometers from the Kenya-Tanzania border on the East.
Youth and adults in this area are daily occupied with farming and business as a means of survival leaving behind children with little care and protection. The under five years children are left under the care of siblings until parents or guardians return home from the hustling. The Day Care Center Project is bringing together vulnerable children into assured safety and care until the adults reunite with them later in the day.
Having maintained the 80 children under the project care annually since the project was established, the center is contributing to an average of 78 children being promoted into primary school annually. The assessment of the children who went through the daycare center is encouraging since they cope better in the new school environment, socialize well, and study hard for better academic performance.
Through the New Hope for the Poor Organization, the Day Care project collaborates well with the local community, parents, teachers in the neighboring primary schools, and leaders in general to ensure the welfare of the children is properly upheld.
The center is ambitious to gradually expand to meet the needs of children in Ghona village and beyond by providing quality child protection and education services, providing parenting skills to adults, and creating opportunities for livelihood skills for women in the neighborhood.
New Hope for the Poor wishes to gradually expand to
establish primary and secondary schools for children from poor and marginalized
families and establish vocational training services for youths including young
mothers. This will contribute to reducing poverty levels, dependency syndrome
possible sexual abuse and other types of Gender Based Violence (GBV), and the
spread of HIV and AIDS.
THE NEW HOPE FOR THE POOR ORGANIZATION
The organization is
legally registered to operate in Kilimanjaro region where the vision and
mission of the organization will be propelled. It was given a registration number
07NGO/00006749.
The organization is currently focusing its interventions at
Ghona village in Kahe East Ward with an estimated population of 12,210 people according
to the 2016 Tanzania National Bureau of Statistics for Kilimanjaro region.
The organization is committed to integrated projects that will empower the targeted communities through education, water and sanitation, poverty alleviation, and environmental protection. It is
managed by an Executive Director who is the chief executive officer working under the supervision of 7 board members.
It is a membership organization open to all interested community members. The board chairperson represents the Annual General Meeting of all organization members. With current projects, implementation of the organization activities is in the hands of 6 staff who are volunteers and 3 Day Care Center staff (2 teachers and 1 matron). Future projects will hire staff to fulfill specific project activities within a clear timeframe.
HOPE FOR FUTURE DAY CARE CENTER PROJECT
This project was established in 2018 by the mother organization at a center with structures that were refurbished with your support. The center is registered as required by the law on the implementation of such services in Tanzania. Its registration number is 2662 of 20th April 2023 issued by the Ministry of Gender, Women, Children and People with Special Needs.
Day Care services for children under 5 years of age are provided to 80 children from Ghona and its vicinities annually. The number is maintained even though the need to register more unreached children is high. The limitation is on the facilities, staffing, and reaching out to households located beyond 2 kilometers which may be difficult for parents to bring their children to the center. On the other hand, the nature of casual work on farms for most parents requires them to leave home very early even before providing breakfast to the children.
Children at the center are provided with an opportunity to play, interact socially, and learn how to read and write in a Montessori methodology. Two (2) trained teachers and a Matron are responsible for the safeguarding of the children from the time of arrival at the center until when they are picked up by parents or guardians. At the center, the children are also provided with at least two (2) meals breakfast and lunch which ensures their nutrition status is improved as much as possible.
A space with mattresses is provided behind the classroom to allow children to have an opportunity to have a nap before they are discharged. The space is also used for children who may fall sick or require special attention.
A need for improving services at the daycare has been observed in the areas of improving nutrition services by consistently providing a balanced diet, conducting regular nutrition assessments, constructing additional classrooms to increase space which will allow enrollment and maintaining at least 100 children, resting rooms for children, administration block which will have offices, storage space, and first aid room.
To intensify the safety and security of the center and the children
constructing a strong fence is inevitable. Currently, wild animals from the
neighboring forest reserve and those from the community roam around the center
compound posing threats of harm including bites which may lead to infections
such as rabies. Entry of unwanted persons at the center will be controlled by
fencing which will prevent stealing or abduction of children.
There is also a need to improve water harvesting and storage systems by placing reserve water tanks and rainwater harvesting systems. Electrification preferably solar energy will be necessary.
With sufficient water, the center will establish and promote home gardening for vegetables and fruits as well as planting trees for shade and making the surroundings green.
Our ambitions will certainly require resources in funding and materials to be gradually solicited from local and international well-wishers who are expected to contribute generously to support the course. The organization relies much on the existing partnership with the sister organizations abroad for support and guidance as much as possible.
WATER AND SANITATION PROJECT
With your support, a borehole was drilled to provide safe and clean water to all Ghona/Chekereni residents. The water is being used for domestic purposes, personal hygiene and gardening. The organization is working hand in hand with community leaders to ensure water committees monitor the supply and take appropriate measures on time. It is also participating in promoting water management knowledge, home gardening, tree planting, and proper disposal of excreta and rubbish.
ACHIEVEMENTS
▪ Establishment of a full-running registered daycare center for a constant of 80 children annually. From 2021 to 2022, graduates to primary class 1 were 141 children being (80 boys and 61 girls).
▪ Parents and guardians of the 80 children attending the center were opportune to attend child safeguarding training. In total, there were 70 participants (50 females and 20 males) who responded to the call from the center.
▪ The center received its official registration making it a legally existing entity for child safeguarding services.
▪ Recognition by the local community and the government for the services rendered by the organization and the daycare center.
▪ The financial management system was improved by opening bank accounts in local banks the National Microfinance Bank (NMB), CRDB LTD, Equity Bank, Uchumi Bank, and Exim Bank.
CONSTRAINTS
▪ The structure used for the office, store, and toilets is unfinished and poorly furnished. The estimated budget for its completion is about Tshs. 40,000,000/=. Completing it will provide a comfortable space for services and the required privacy.
▪ Documentation and data processing equipment such as computers, printers and photocopiers are not available to ensure all the information to do with the organization and projects are well maintained. The estimated cost for these items is at Tshs. 5,600,000/=.
▪ Safety and security risks at the daycare compound by animals and unexpected persons due to lack of fencing and security guards. The cost for the construction of the fence will require a bill of quantity after consultation with an architect.
▪ Inadequate water reserve for daycare center activities. Installing a 5000-liter water tank which will be used for rainwater harvest will be required. The budget estimate is at Tshs.
3,500,000/=.
▪ Lack of visual education and entertainment equipment such as a video projector, TV screen, and decoder, and radio limit learning by seeing, singing, and entertaining actions. The equipment will be required to enhance the education quality. The estimated budget will be at Tshs. 4,900,000.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Our organization has been able to take off and provide services to children and the community at Ghona/Chekereni village. We are gaining experience and the need to safeguard children in the area is increasingly being revealed. The inception was challenging but the financial support from you has uplifted us to encouraging levels.
It is in this regard we sincerely appreciate the financial and moral support in seeing us through as we serve the vulnerable children and the community at large. We are thankful for the frequent supportive supervision which energized us to do more even during times of frustration and despair. The New Hope for the Poor Organization wishes to re-iterate our commitment to providing quality safeguarding and education services to all children in need.
Thank you so much and welcome to Ghona/Chekereni, Moshi; the
land of Kilimanjaro.
KARIBUNI SANA
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