Tanzania’s Child Welfare Crisis
Tanzania is home to an estimated 1.3 million orphans and 437,000 street-connected children. Registered orphanages and children’s homes are overwhelmed, leaving many children with no choice but to live in unregulated facilities where conditions are often unsafe and, at times, exploitative.
Introducing Shabaha Children’s Home
Kijana Kwanza is transforming the model of care for orphaned and abandoned children aged 5–12. We believe every child deserves the chance to grow up in a safe, loving family.
When a child has been separated from their family because of poverty, our first priority is family reunification—working to strengthen and support families so children can return home or be placed with a suitable foster family.
Shabaha Children’s Home operates as an emergency shelter, offering short-term protection and care for up to 120 children at any given time. Only in the most challenging circumstances will children remain in long-term residential care.
After a child transitions into family or community-based care, our support continues through:
- Financial and in-kind assistance
- Regular and unannounced home visits by trained social workers
- Weekly activities on-site at Shabaha Children’s Home
Shabaha Children’s Home Is Now Open
The new children’s home is complete, and we have successfully moved our current primary school–aged children to the site. We are now ready to welcome more vulnerable children into a safe, nurturing, and supportive environment.
A heartfelt thank you to all the donors whose generosity has made Shabaha Children’s Home a reality.
