Supporting widows and educating fatherless children and orphans in Africa

Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world, yet also one of the most beautiful because of its natural wildlife and landscape. This is the land of Mt Kilimanjaro and the lakes. The country is in the eastern part of Africa to the south of Kenya. It is surrounded, although not exclusively, by waters (Indian Ocean to the east, Lake Victoria to the north and Lake Nyasa to the south). It also borders with Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi in the north-west, Zambia and Malawi to the south west and Mozambique to the south.

The population is about 40 million. The main city is Dar-es-Salaam which also serves as capital. The economy is mainly subsistence agriculture and the vast majority of the population are small farmers. The country has very few industries. The per capita income is about $210 and life expectancy is below 50.

Although well over 65 per cent of children enrol in primary school which is free, less than 10 per cent actually move on to secondary school. This is because education at this level is not free. Even at the primary school level, many parents are still not able to afford to pay for school supplies, uniform, books and school meals. In the rural areas the schools are often inaccessible for children, some of whom have to travel several kilometres to the nearest school.

ACT has been working with Tanga Assemblies of God Church, Chumbangeni, since January 2003. In October 2004, ACT started working with a second partner, the Free Pentecostal Church of Tanzania based in Moshi. At present we are supporting 45 children in Tanzania.

More information about ACT’s Partners in Tanzania

Find out about these countries where the African Child Trust is working

> Burkina Faso

> Nigeria

> Uganda

> Zambia