Tanzania

In international development and disaster relief work, good news is always welcome, and Tanzania has had quite a bit of good news in recent years. Economic growth has been relatively high in the east African country, and much of that growth has gone to alleviating poverty. From 2007 to 2011, Poverty rates declined from 59.9% of the population to 49.1%, according to the World Bank.

But with almost half the population still below the international poverty line of $1.90 per day, there’s a lot of work to be done. Particularly in rural regions, many Tanzanians still struggle with lack of sufficient food, infrastructure and services. Here’s what Humanity First USA is doing to help:

Providing Education to Tanzanians Children

In 2014, Humanity First assumed leadership of the Ahmadiyya Pre & Primary School in Morogoro, Tanzania through our Knowledge for Life program. When we first started to run it, the school had just two rooms, sharply limiting the number of students we could teach. In 2015, we added four additional classrooms, as well as bathrooms and administrative facilities to the building. As a result, we were able to enroll 91 students by the end of 2015, and serve more children going forward. In 2018, three more classrooms were added and now more 250 students are enrolled in K-6 grades.

Healthcare in Dodoma, the Capital of Tanzania

In 2018, Humanity First USA in collaboration with Humanity First Tanzania initiated a project to establish a healthcare facility in Dodoma. The healthcare project was originally envisioned several years ago by late Mr. Nazir Ayaz, then Country Director for Tanzania. Mr. Ayaz was born and raised in Tanzania, therefore, had a deep passion for the development of Tanzania. After he passed away in 2016 Humanity First USA with support of his family continued to work on the project to fulfil his dream.

By the mid of 2019, required paperwork for establishment of health center in Dodoma has been completed. A building has been acquired and renovation of the property will begin soon. The facility is expected to be operational in Fall 2019.

Drought Relief in Tanzania

Tanzania has a volatile climate, and parts of the country are prone to severe drought. With global climate change and desertification driving instability, water shortages have reached crisis levels, driving food shortages and imperilling access to potable water. On average, Tanzanian women and children have to walk over a mile every day for water, and many do not have access to a clean, reliable water source.

Through the Water for Life project, Humanity First USA is working to change that by providing rural Tanzanians convenient access to safe water, by digging wells, installing pumps and improving infrastructure.

In many cases, our team has succeeded in providing water access where other humanitarian organizations have failed. Before Humanity First USA visited, the 7,500 residents of the Pangalame village in the capital city of Dodoma were suffering from an acute shortage of potable water. Because of the scarcity of underground water, other development organizations had failed to successfully tap available underground reservoirs. Our engineers were able to find underground water, and install a new hand pump to bring it to the surface. Not only do the villages now have a source of clean water, but they are also free of the arduous daily trek to bring water to their village.

Conditions in Tanzania are improving, but far too many people are still impoverished in the East African country. Get involved in Humanity First USA, to help Tanzania keep progressing towards a future free of poverty and privation.