Mwandaliwa Orphanage Centre has been an oasis in the desert for many children, whose educational hopes and chances of living a decent life would have been eroded by social anomalies, such as the death of parents, poverty, neglect, and so on.

Among the over 200 children, whose lives have been revived and moulded by the orphanage, is Mohammed Issa Athumani. The now 23-year-old young man, whose life at the centre started in 2008, hails from Kondoa District of Dodoma Region.

Mohammed, the then Standard Three pupil, was facing difficult conditions. In fact, his life was a living hell and was bleak due to the family’s economic incapacitation. Though his mother and other distant relatives are still alive today, his life then was unbearable, a situation that necessitated him to be raised at an orphanage.

Mohammed recounts that his childhood experience has left indelible memories in his life. He revealed that the situation was unbearable to an extent that he had contemplated running away from home several times. He could not attend school as they lived in abject poverty, with the mother failing to provide meals, making sleeping on an empty stomach a common phenomenon for them.

He vividly remembers that the watershed in his life came when a distant relative, who lived in Dar es Salaam at the time, championed for his enrolment with Mwandaliwa Orphanage Centre.

The centre, which is currently located along Shamte Street, Mbweni Area in Kinondoni Municipality of Dar es Salaam Region, Tanzania, was then situated in Manzese and is the brain child of a woman with a golden heart, Halima Ramadhani Mwandaliwa.

According to various sources, over the years, orphanages (such as the Mwandaliwa Orphanage Centre) have been considered as residential institutions, or group homes, devoted to the care of orphans and other children who were separated from their biological families. Examples of what would cause a child to be placed in orphanages include when the parents were deceased, the biological family was abusive to the child, there was substance abuse or mental illness in the biological home that was detrimental to the child, or the parents had to leave to work elsewhere and were unable or unwilling to take the child.

The sources also show that the role of legal responsibility for the support of children whose parents have died or are otherwise unable to provide care differs internationally.

On the other hand, Mohammed described the founder of the centre, Mama Mwandaliwa — who passed away in November 2019, as a very brave woman who was determined to ensure that children at the orphanage had a good upbringing.

“She always looked for support from various places. This is why today, we live in a much better place as compared to the previous times,” said Mohammed.

He pointed out that the house that they lived in at Manzese area was rented and its condition was not entirely pleasing.

“We transferred to Ununio from our previous home at Manzese in April 2008. This is when I was enrolled into Standard Three.

“Before our mother could secure a permanent residence for the Centre, we were forced to shift to several rented houses. This is why I kept on transferring to different schools during my primary education,” he said, explaining that for Standard Three to Five, he went to Ununio Primary School before enrolling with Boko Mtambani Primary School for his Standard Six and Seven.

After completing Standard Seven and performing well in his Primary Level National Examinations, Mohammed proceeded with his secondary education and finished his O-levels in 2014.

Unfortunately, his performance at O-level could not permit him to proceed to Advanced Level Education (Form Five and Form Six). Two years later, Mohammed’s educational journey resumed when he joined St. Gaspar College, which is located at Mbweni Area, in Dar es Salaam. Being supported by a good Samaritan Mohammed undertook a two-year electrical studies course.

Although Mohammed is still to secure a permanent job related to his field study, the management of the orphanage opened a barber shop, for him to make a living. He cuts the hair for all the children at the centre and uses the same platform to earn some money from outsiders.

Mohamed went on to express his deepest gratitude to Mwandaliwa Orphanage for reviving and redirecting his life that was heading towards total disaster.

“Among the things that I am proud of during my entire stay (at the Centre) is the fact that I was able to obtain formal education, skills and religious teachings…I am very thankful to them for the person I have become.

“Now that I have grown up, I owe my life to the centre and all the people that were responsible for my upbringing here. My greatest wish is for me to be able to support my young siblings (at the Centre) who still need to be helped and supported in the same manner that I was helped,” noted Mohammed.

He went on to call upon members of the community to find it in their hearts to give and help children living in centres such as Mwandaliwa, which he now considers his first home, despite having established communications with his relatives in Kondoa.

The humble beginnings
The Director of Mwandaliwa Orphanage Centre, Mr Haji Mahmoud, who acquired the position after the passing on of the founder, who happened to be his mother, revealed that the Centre was established in 2002.

Mr Mahmoud pointed out that his mother started the orphanage from scratch and because of her golden heart she could not stomach seeing children suffering. So, when she came across three children living on the streets, under difficult conditions, she took them in at her house.

“My mother was tormented by the three children’s situation and living conditions, so she decided to bring them home in Buza, Temeke Municipality and raised them as her own,” said Mr Mahmoud.

As the days went by, Mama Mwandaliwa decided to host more children, and this is when the idea of introducing the centre came to her mind.

Mr Mahmoud noted that the centre started with 17 children and in 2006, when it had a total of 30 children, obtained its official recognition from the government.

Having started from humble beginnings of living with the children at her home, Mama Mwandaliwa went on to rent a house to accommodate the children, before acquiring a permanent place, where the orphanage is currently housed.

“And, thanks to her, the centre has developed from baby steps to where it is now. It is manned by 16 staff members including cooks, cleaners and caretakers among others,” said the Director.

Centralised child placement system
Mr Mahmoud observed that the law in Tanzania provides that for an orphanage to operate, it should be recognized by the government.

Based on this, a centre is not allowed to directly take children from the streets or from anywhere else on its own. It is the government agencies, specifically the Social Welfare Department that deals with the process of placing children into any orphanage or safe house.

He explained that usually, the centre receives children who are orphans, living in difficult conditions and others that possess their parents or guardians but face a similar situation.

Besides, the centre is also regarded as a safe house by the government; therefore, at times they also get children who have undergone harassment such as rape, beatings and many other inhuman conditions.

Mr Mahmoud pointed out that the centre receives children from the ages of 0 to 10 years, the reason being that bringing up the children at that particular age group, is much easier than if it was otherwise.

But at times, the centre receives pregnant girls and becomes the task of the orphanage to look after them and their new born babies.

“Recently, we received a fourteen-year-old girl who was brought in her second month of pregnancy. She is now a mother of a two-month-old baby girl,” he said.

The Treasurer at the Orphanage, Mr Mohammed Rashid Mwiga echoed the same sentiments, revealing that currently, the centre provides shelter to 72 children, comprising 31 girls and 41 boys.

Mr Mwiga said the children are obtained through the Social Welfare Department from the ward, district and regional level.

Basically, the orphanage is also a safe home for the children whereby they receive basic needs such as education, food, shelter and health needs.

The orphanage’s modus operandi
According to the Director, the centre is being operated through the support of Good Samaritans and anyone who is touched to offer assistance.

In line with the support from different groups, the centre has introduced several projects like poultry farming, a tailoring shop and maintains a fruit farm in a bid to generate income that can sustain the day-to-day operations of the orphanage.

“Usually, we look for tenders in schools to make uniforms and other materials. The money obtained from the work is divided between the centre and the workers of the tailoring shop,” he said.

He revealed that the workers are paid from the money they generate because the centre is not able to place them on payroll. And, two of the children who are studying tailoring at St. Gaspar College, usually join forces with the other tailors.

Mr Mahmoud, however, pointed out that the whole issue of raising children and ensuring that they acquire a good upbringing requires a lot of faith and sacrifice.

Redefining life through education
The orphanage has been in the forefront, in reviving all the lost educational dreams for children who are received at the centre. The Director revealed that when the children turn four-years-old, they send them to a pre-school, which is also located at the centre until their seventh year.

He observed that the idea of introducing the pre-school at the centre was to cut costs that were incurred in sending the children to other pre-school centres.

Thus, Mwandaliwa Centre has recruited pre-school teachers and on the other hand, its school also enrols children from the neighbourhood.

“When the children are in class, you cannot differentiate the one who lives at the centre with the one who comes to school from home,” he said.

In overcoming the cost of school uniforms, the tailoring mart usually makes uniforms for all the children from pre-school up to those in secondary school.

When the children graduate from the pre-school, they are enrolled in public schools. And, after completing Standard Seven, the ones who pass continue to secondary school.

Those who do not perform well are taken to vocational colleges to study areas of their choice. The financing of this particular arrangement is supported by a foreign individual, who offered to assist with the children’s education.

Generally, the children have been performing well in their secondary school entrance examinations. The challenge comes when they complete Form Four for them to join Form Five.

To date, the orphanage has produced several children who have managed to go to college; one of them is currently studying at the National Institute of Transport (NIT) while the other one is at Mzumbe Business College in Morogoro Region.

Securing children’s health
The health of the children is one of the most important facets of the orphanage’s operations. Hence, strict measures including hygiene are taken to ensure a clean environment, food and the environment.

It is against this background that Mr Mahmoud disclosed that since the centre was established, they have not had complicated health issues.

On the other hand, the centre is being supported by Rabininsia Hospital located in Tegeta. The relationship with the hospital, that stretches back 13 years, has seen children who have been placed at the centre being treated free of charge.

Although they have been receiving the support from the hospital, the management has continued to look for further support to ensure the children acquire health insurance.

“We cannot rely on the hospital’s support forever; this is why we are looking for people to support the children with health insurance.

“So far, we have obtained nine health insurance cards and we are glad that one woman has offered to finance insurance cards for 30 children,” he noted.

The Director also revealed that from time to time, they receive psychologists who come to the centre and speak to the children on various issues pertaining to their lives.

Weaning the ‘moulded’ children
The children’s life journey at the orphanage usually ends when they attain 18 years of age as legally, they will be regarded as adults. The Director, Mr Mahmoud, disclosed that when they attain the age of 18, initiations are made for them to reunite with their families or close relatives.

“The social welfare department handles the task of tracking the relatives and reuniting them with their children. As for those with no relatives, in case they are still studying, the centre continues supporting them and upon completion, they look for jobs and new places to stay.

“If it happens that they are not studying, they continue living under the watch of the centre, but separated from the children’s lodgings, while management tries to secure something for them to do,” he said.

On family reunions, Mr Mwiga, the Treasurer said an official from the social welfare department is the one responsible for tracking the families and relatives of the children if any.

He said it is sometimes difficult to carry out family tracing, because some of these children would have been brought to the centre at a very tender age, abandoned by their parents.

Despite their efforts to trace the children’s families, usually the centre discourages contacting or tracing relatives because at times the children might be snatched by strangers, although they allow relatives to visit.

“In most cases, children here don’t want to be reunited with their families, especially those who would have been brought here due to difficult living conditions at home,” he said, citing an example of two siblings who are aged between five and seven years, who hail from Temeke Municipality, in Dar es Salaam.

Both parents are alive, but have separated therefore the children lived with their father. And, when they were taken to their mother for reunion, they refused while crying bitterly.

Future Plans
Mr Mahmoud, who was formerly employed at one of the petrol stations in Dar es Salaam, is eager to continue the good work, whose strong foundations were built by his mother.

Along with his own family, they live at the orphanage centre to make sure that him and his wife provide the father and mother figures respectively to the children.

With the children at the centre calling him daddy, the Director has compassion and strong zeal to push for the children’s wellbeing and success.

According to him, the centre has housed over 200 children since its establishment. Some of the children who were raised at the centre now have families of their own and from time to time they visit.

Challenges
According to him, the biggest challenge facing the centre is that of insufficient funds to run day-to-day operations.

“The children undertaking primary and secondary education study at different schools across the city, therefore, in order for them to get to school, they need transport allowances and a small stipend for other needs.

“Besides getting treated in hospital free of charge, the children need money for transport when they are ill for them to get to the hospital,” Mr Mwiga said.

On issues related to the children’s nutrition, he said the centre is committed to ensure the children get nutritious meals, taking into account that they face difficult moments because they’re not financially stable.

He went on to mention that there are various other areas such as clothing, food, electricity, water and so on that need funds, hence the need for well-wishers and Good Samaritans to chip in.

An orphanage worker’s perspective
Gladness Joseph (44) is one of the caretakers and matrons at Mwandaliwa Orphanage Centre and bears testimony of the life-changing experiences the children get. Hailing from Dodoma Region, Gladness revealed that she raises and treats the children at the centre like her own.

Having started working for the centre four years ago, she claims that she is very happy and excited to carry out her responsibilities of caring for the children. Gladness performs her day-to-day chores at the centre such as cleaning and being a motherly figure for the children.

Her day starts at 4am when she wakes up and prepares herself to go to the centre, when she is not on night duty. She has rented a room a stone’s throw away from the orphanage, where she walks and arrives around 5am, to start cleaning and helping to prepare children going to school.

“When the kindergartens arrive from pre-school at noon, they remove their uniforms and put-on home clothes. I then give them food and later assist with homework,” she said.

She confirmed that the children are well taken care of and provided for by the management; although at times they face several challenges.

“The way these children are being raised here, I admit that I can’t provide for myself the same way the management does to these children,” said Gladness.

As for the children, she said that they listen to what they are told and seek for advice if something is troubling them. The workers deal and handle them like their own children.

She pointed out that among other challenges is that of small babies who are vulnerable to various illnesses, while the other older children are always in good health.

She described some of the chronic illnesses facing the children as UTI, malaria and skin rashes, but usually they send them to hospital and ensure they are taking all the prescribed medication.

“In the case of girls and boys who would have undergone puberty, we take time to speak to them on how they should present themselves in public. For girls, we help them on how to behave and issues relating to their hygiene during their menses.

“I thank God for these children, some of them now have their own families and usually remember to visit and contact us from time to time. Others have acquired different skills they can now support themselves,” said Gladness.

Conclusion
Mwandaliwa Orphanage Centre has gone a the extra mile in providing for disadvantaged children, especially those living under difficult conditions with the second chance to revive their lost hopes and dreams. And, it is everybody’s duty, including me and you to chip in and help the orphanage to realise its goals, thereby, saving the lives of many disadvantaged children. With the much-needed support, even the sky will never be the limit for the centre and the dreams of the children deprived of their rights by societal anomalies, will become true. Let’s support this initiative for a good cause. God bless you!!