Iringa is in the southwest of Tanzania, a typical rural region with fascinating scenery on the way – a baobab valley and a national park with all the African wild animals observable from the road. Iringa also has one of the highest HIV infection rates in the country with many orphaned children as a result. The trip to Iringa was organised by James Davey, country director of Concern Tanzania.
I met Edna Lugano, Concern’s livelihood program coordinator of the region who helped organise a trip to an orphanage and a meeting with two families effected by HIV and weather changes, struggling to keep it together but determined to give their children all they can while they are still around.
The Asante Sana Children’s Home in the Nzihi village was originally built by an Italian NGO. The Asante Sana, which is Swahili for thank you very much, is now being run by a local pastor and his wife. There are 24 children aged one and a half to 14 years old. When I arrived they sang a welcome song, always happy to see a visitor.
Asante Sana home is a much more cheerful looking place compared to MWANDALIWA outside Dar es Salaam. Colourful pictures decorate the walls, a teenage girl was playing a drum while the others sang and danced. Before lunch toys were brought out and the sheltered veranda turned into a small theatre. At lunch time the children dutifully washed their hands and quietly ate their food. Those that wanted seconds got lots more. After lunch everyone went for a nap.
There are three women taking care of the children, at least one watching them all the time while others clean or cook. They comfort them and play games. There is a school on the premises and an outdated computer class. The funding comes partially from the government and partially from the local community and international friends. The home takes children from many different situations – those that have been abandoned, who have no parents, who suffer from abuse or whose parents are unable to support them. With the last case Pastor Mwasanje tries to encourage the family to keep the child while offering them financial support for food and school fees. They also educate about adoption and have seen one child go to a new permanent family last year.
Though their finances are very limited they are making a real difference in the community by offering their love, support and education to the most vulnerable. Without Asante Sana these children would probably end up in a big city where they would beg or be turned to prostitution.
Iringa is also part of the Big Four – the four main regions that feed Tanzania. With drastic weather changes in the last seven years the government actually had to send food aid to some parts of the region in the last few years. This is why Concern and other agriculture aimed NGOs in the area are so valuable to the people. The local farmers who are not able to relocate are learning about drought resistant crops, how to adapt to the new climate and food budgeting. Through their efforts, Concern and others in the region are keeping thousands of children off the streets and in the families.
I left Iringa early in the morning to go to Berega, a village in the mountains west of Dar es Salaam with an orphanage and a hospital making their difference in this region. The roads are bad all around the country but getting to Berega tells a lot about some of the reasons behind high maternal mortality rates, a further cause to children being left alone in the beautiful but often harsh Africa.
