Upendo Children’s Home TZ is based in Mwanza, north-west Tanzania and is managed with the direction of Upendo Children’s Home UK, its UK-based partner. Upendo Children’s Home UK gained Registered Charity status in 2011 (No. 1142091) and is responsible for guiding and agreeing upon the overall direction of Upendo’s objectives.

We are a small charity registered in the UK and Tanzania as a company limited by guarantee.

We started with the aim of providing a home to children without one, and with the support of volunteers from a number of countries, from 2011 to 2013 we worked to build a building to support these objectives.

Time and experience have shown us that the orphan problem in sub-Saharan Africa is complex and that institutions of any form should only be used to provide care as a last resort.

Many children perceived as orphans in the region often still have some family members who would like to care for them, but do not always have the means to do so, and this was particularly the case for the children supported by Upendo.

After 2013 and following a long period of introspection and analysis, the Upendo team decided to re-direct our efforts to seeking out and reuniting the children in our care with their families, or wherever this was not possible, supporting them to live with local families from the region. This has meant working closely with parents, grandparents or guardians to ensure they feel supported in providing adequate food, shelter and clothing for the children, and maintaining regular contact with families and children alike.

In addition to small monthly grants to cover basic essentials for the Upendo families, we also sponsor the cost of the children's school fees and any healthcare costs.

We employ one full time member of staff in Tanzania, Eric, who acts as liaison with the families, schools and healthcare institutions, ensuring that all family needs are effectively met, and also acts as the main point of contact between Tanzania and the UK. 

We are very fortunate to have sponsors for some of the children's education; beyond this, costs can be considered modest by many in the UK, with Eric's wages being the only cost that is not of direct benefit to the families. When broken down, donations cover food, health, entertainment and education, with improved shelter being something we are working towards with families.

The building that we constructed and used when arranging for the children to move back to their families has since been used as a school, with us currently exploring other ways in which it can benefit the community. This involves consultation with local government and community members. We will provide any details of further funding requirements for this, however our hope is that it will be minimal input from the charity to become more beneficial to the community.

Beyond this, having a registered and operational organisation provides potential to fill gaps in services and help vulnerable people, so we are looking at ways in which this can be further utilised.

Watch this space for further updates.