Our Projects
Why We Need Your Support
Traveling through Tanzania is a beautiful experience, but sometimes you encounter stories that touch your heart deeply and compel you to take action.
During a visit to Materuni, we met 22-year-old Flora and her 70-year-old grandmother, Bibi Yasinta. Flora lives with severe physical disabilities and relies entirely on her grandmother for round-the-clock care. Beyond financial hardship, the greatest challenge is this complete dependence on an aging caregiver. What will happen as Bibi Yasinta gets older, falls ill, or passes away?
To address this urgent need, Tunajali has launched a dedicated initiative to support Flora and Bibi Yasinta. We invite you to learn about our work below, visit Materuni to see the impact firsthand, and join us in making a meaningful difference.
Thank you for reading and for your support!
Why your support is required
01
PROJECT MEGAN
Megan is a heavily disabled girl at an age of 7.
Together with her parents and a younger sibling she lives in Materuni. Her parents try to make a living with a little kitchen which they are running at the main road.
To keep her healthy Megan needs to attend a hospital regularly for physical care & therapy and medical examination. She also constantly needs medication at a cost of up to USD 20 per month.
To cover the expenses a medical insurance is required at a cost of USD 120 annually which her parents cannot afford.
She also needs the support of a nurse when her parents are not available e.g. for running their kitchen.
What we want to achieve
We want to make sure that Megans medical treatment and care is financially safe and that support e.g. through a nurse is granted, if necessary.
How you can help
Any donation for Megan is highly appreciated. Our target is to raise funds of USD 40 per month. Please donate or take over a sponsorship for 3, 6 or 12 months.
Megan would also be very happy about a personal visit at her home in Materuni.
02
PROJECT GASTO & BEATRICE
Why your support is required
Gasto & Beatrice and their 3 children are the family with the poorest living standard in Materuni. Together they live in a little hut literally with nothing. Only through Tunajali´s support the children can attend school.
The family has no private water tap and depends on public water supply, their toilet is in the bush.
They look after a neighbor's cow in an old shed with walls and roof falling apart. Their fire place is also in the shed. Because they have received no education and other issues they have no other regular income besides the cow.
Through an infection Gasto has lost one eye.
What we want to achieve
We want to enable the family to live a self-determined, modest life. The children are already supported by Tunajali so that they can attend school.
The aim of our project is to renovate their house, build a new cow shed and give them a cow on their own to help them make a living.
How you can help
Are you a skillful craftsman who can help to renovate the hut and build a new shed ? Then it would be wonderful to welcome you as a volunteer and get your hands-on support.
Please also donate to buy the required material and a cow for Gasto & Beatrice as an expense of $ 300 for the cow and $ 700 for the hut and shed.
Gasto&Beatrice would also be very happy to welcome you to Materuni.
03
PROJECT FLORA
Why your support is required
Flora is an entirely disabled young woman at an age of 22.
Together with her bibi (grandmother), who is taking care of her at an age of 70, she is living in a small and remote house in Materuni. Flora is completely dependent on the help of her bibi. Her mother has left the family and her father has died.
Flora and her bibi have no income and fully depend on the help from other people. The most urgent needs are financial support to ensure the supply of food, diapers and medication. Also the support of a nurse is urgently required to relieve bibi from the permanent burden. In the long-term it will be necessary to establish the full care through a nurse for Flora.
What we want to achieve
In the short term, we want to enable the financing of adequate nutrition, diapers, etc., and assistance from a nurse.
In the long term, we would like to secure complete in-home care for Flora.
How you can help
Any donation for Flora is highly appreciated. Our target is to raise funds of USD 80 per month for Floras basic needs like food, diapers and medication.
Especially for the long-term care and the funding of a nurse we are looking for a sponsorship for at least 6 months or longer with a monthly donation of USD 100.
Flora would also be very happy about a personal visit at her home in Materuni.
04
PROJECT MATERUNI PRIMARY SCHOOL
Why your support is required
The Materuni Pre&Primary School already exists since 1948. Today 163 watotos (children) attend Kindergarten and Primary School there. In the school 5 permanent teachers volunteer teachers are teaching the watotos.
The list of challenges for the school is endless,
but one issue is substantially severe.
The school stands on a rise directly above the main road,
with an extremely steep and unsecured embankment
leading up to the school (see photo). The embankment is
already heavily eroded.
There is a real risk that heavy rain could trigger a landslide,
potentially causing at least one school building to slide
onto the road. This would not only partially destroy the
school but also endanger the lives of students and teachers.
Also the sewage system, which needs substantial repair even
now, would be damaged.
Other issues include
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old and leaking roofs,
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clay floors require carpets for the cold season,
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some students require financial support to be able to attend school, e.g. for uniforms,
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lack of a printer,
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etc.
What we want to achieve
First priority needs to be on securing the stability of the buildings and making sure that attending the school is safe. This requires to build a massive retaining wall along the road.
Second priority is the repair the sewage system and renew the roofs.
Of course we also want to help with carpets for the cold floors, support underprivileged children to make sure they can go to school, etc.
How you can help
We urgently need the funding to build a retaining wall at a cost of around USD 8.000. Please donate for this purpose, as you can see it is a really dangerous situation.
As soon as we have fixed this major challenge we would like to repair and renew the sewage system and roofs for another USD 4.000.
Please also consider to take over the sponsoring of one of the underprivileged children at a cost of USD 60 per year.
Materuni Primary school would be more than happy to welcome you for a guided tour.
05
PROJECT JENIFER
Why your support is required
Jenifer is a highly disabled young girl at the age of 7, who cannot walk or sit on her own.
She lives in a small and remote shamba in Materuni together with her mama Elivine, who is fully responsible for and taking care of Jenifer, and three siblings. Her father supports her and the family.
Mama is permanently confronted with lots of issues, e.g. no (wheel-)chair in which Jenifer can sit without being supported (this is especially important for mama to get some relieve from always carrying her around), no grinder to prepare special food (Jenifer can only eat pasty food), no health insurance, lack of money to buy food that meets Jenifers dietary requirements as well as diapers, etc.
What we want to achieve
We want to take away the biggest issues from Jenifer and her mama, provide a wheelchair, a grinder, a health insurance, appropriate food, diapers and physical therapy.
How you can help
Any donation for Megan is highly appreciated. Our target is to raise funds as follows:
USD 40 for a wheelchair (from a NGO in Moshi), USD 40 for a grinder, a monthly fund of USD 50 for a health insurance, food & diapers and physical therapy.
Please donate or take over a sponsorship for 3, 6 or 12 months.
Jenifer would also be very happy about a personal visit at her home in Materuni.
06
PROJECT MATERUNI VILLAGE CLINIC
Why your support is required
The clinic exists since 2017.
One senior doctor and his assistant doctor offer various services:
Medical care for pregnant women and for giving birth in the clinic (120-150 children are born in the clinic annually),
medical care for children under 5, especially vaccinations (1500-2000 vaccinations annually),
General medical treatment in case of sicknesses.
The clinic is facing several several issues, e.g. building damages, inappropriate water supply, need for laboratory equipment, etc.
Volunteering as medical assistant is highly appreciated (will require an application process through the regional government).
What we want to achieve
Our focus is to improve the water supply through a new water tank and pipeline.
We would also like to bring volunteers to the clinic as medical support.
How you can help
Please donate for the new water supply system, we estimate a budget requirement of USD 500-800.
Please also consider to support the clinic as a volunteer.
You are always welcome to visit the clinic during your stay in Materuni.
Visit Materuni to get your own impressions and see how you can help
We offer a 2 hours trip to visit a local school accompanied by our Tunajali Community Coordinator, to connect with local children and make a positive impact (NO participation fee). This might be a wonderful Add-On to the popular trip to Materuni Waterfall, Coffee Tour & Traditional Chagga Lunch.
You will discover everyday school life in rural Tanzania, meet local teachers and students, learn about the Tanzanian education system, and contribute positively to children's education.
During the school's scheduled break time enjoy friendly, supervised activities with the children, such as football, games, and cultural exchanges.
If you wish to support the school you may donate useful educational supplies, including exercise books, pens, pencils, school bags, shoes, footballs, and other learning or recreational materials.
Donations are coordinated with the school to ensure they meet the students' actual needs. Giving is entirely optional and is not required to participate.
Optional Child Education Sponsorship for USD 50 per year!
If you would like to make a lasting difference, Tunajali Tanzania offers an opportunity to sponsor a child from a disadvantaged family.
A voluntary contribution of USD 50 helps support essential educational needs, such as:
- School uniforms and shoes,
- School bags,
- Exercise books and stationery,
- School lunch and meal assistance.
Important Information
Advance arrangements are required, and visits are subject to school approval, opening days, and the school's daily schedule.
All activities are conducted respectfully, with children's safety, privacy, and education as the highest priorities. Visitors are not required to bring gifts, donate money, or sponsor a child.
Any transportation required specifically for the school visit will be communicated in advance.
Travel with Purpose. Share a Smile. Support Education.
Organized by Tunajali Tanzania – Supporting Education, Empowering Communities, and Creating Positive Change.
Book your free school visit in advance through Materuni Village Experience.