Let’s Raise the roof!

 ‘Every day I would get up and go to see Babu in the Grassroots Tanzania camp. And every day I ask the same, if he can help with my education.  I am 11 years old and my father wants me to marry.  All I want to do is go to school and learn, but school is too far away...’  This unnamed girl was married by her father in 2015. Grassroots Tanzania was unable to help her due to funding constraints. We need this to change.

In much of the developed world, it would almost inconceivable to see
children willingly trek and bike for miles, braving the elements and risking their own personal wellbeing to get to school.  The sad fact is that most children who have access to free, safe and extensive education take it for granted. But not the children of Itumba Hill,
who have been chancing life and limb just to sit on bare bricks in a condemned building for the opportunity of an education. So it is with some urgency that we, at Grassroots Tanzania, now ask you to be part of this final £14,500 * push (£4,500 today for the roof) to give these courageous, highly motivated children the opportunity for an
education in a safe, sound and well-staffed building, which every child born today, so richly deserves.

The village of Itumba Hill, home to over 400 youngsters of school age, is located in one of the most remote regions of Tanzania. For a school to be registered and recognised by the government, at least two classrooms must be built. The villagers have tried in the past, raising the money themselves, but without the right skill set, like engineers, builders or carpenters, their efforts were condemned, the school was too far away from the village centre to make it a safe commute for the children, it failed to meet the required regulations and left all concerned desperately at a loss. To build the classrooms and supporting rooms might sound straightforward but in a part of the country that
is so ‘off grid’  with no basic amenities like electricity or running water present, this is a tall order, even development agencies give it a wide berth. In addition the children themselves would be looking to change the rather narrow pathways commonly open to them; currently all boys from the age of 12 herd cattle and the girls are married. Grassroots
Tanzania has taken up this cause and we are close, but we need money now to really raise the roof!

Inspirational Legacy                                                                                     

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” These words spoken by the late, great Nelson Mandela, have been quoted many times, and resonate with millions across the world because they speak a fundamental truth, real change comes from an understanding of what needs to be changed and how best to achieve it. We have been inspired by this very simple idea to learn what must be done to bring about a school and how best to do it. With your financial support we can build a school that will see generations of children gain the education they need to make a real positive difference in their lives and contribute to their community. Your support could be what ensures this community has doctors, teachers, better farmers, healthier
mothers, happier children, for many years to come.

Right Here, Right Now!  Today we need £4,500 for the roof

Just £14,500 * stands between these children and an education for a
better future for all of them, their families and the wider community. We have already done a great deal, hand-made bricks sit on top of solid foundations that build up the outside walls of the school that now lies much closer to the village on land that we have bought. We have volunteer teachers in place, ready to deliver for the children. We have made a start on the books and stationery, but we desperately need a roof and desks and chairs - we need the financial security in place for this educational facility to flourish. Grassroots Tanzania has already committed to manage the school using profits from our
beehives, whilst still ensuring the school itself remains the property of the village. We are so close to making education a reality for these children, donate today, so they can go to school tomorrow.

Managing the Money

JustGiving is the world’s most established and credible social
platform for facilitating donations, whose mission is to ensure no great cause goes unfunded. It has helped causes in 164 countries to raise over $3.3 billion since in 2001. It creates more intelligent and powerful ways of connecting causes with people who care, which are open to everyone and every cause, however small. Grassroots Tanzania chose JustGiving as we trust them not to share their data with anyone without permission, nor to sell or trade personal information with third parties, or try to ‘upsell’ other services on the back of people’s generosity. Your donations will be safe and reach exactly those who need it, when they need it.

SHOCC are our UK charity partner who support our fundraising efforts in the UK and take no costs for this.  They send all the funds raised to Tanzania.

Team Effort

No vision can be fulfilled, nor project be realised, without great
team work. Therefore, we would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to some of the core members of our team who will direct the £14,500 we need most wisely, and realise this wonderful venture. Martin is a born bushman and has spent his career working on safaris and in remote destinations. At Grassroots Tanzania, he along with Athman Majengo are responsible for all operations including conservation activities (like beekeeping, re-forestation) as well as vehicle maintenance and camp building. They are also responsible for all staff management and the volunteer programs. Athman as project manager of this build, Pasqual our carpenter, Malekwa covering general duties and Elihuruma in charge of logistics.

A message from our Founder 

In 2013, after the birth of my first child, Grassroots Tanzania was
established to help those in serious need. That need, three years later,
is greater than ever. Whilst we still have much to do, we are protecting land in a very isolated part of the world, as well as producing honey. Now we are attempting to build the children of Itumba Hill a much-needed school.  The challenge is simply too great for me to carry alone, least of all the heartbreak of seeing so many children wanting to learn. I realise that development isn’t easy and that in poverty, development needs are inordinately complex and not for the faint hearted. So here I am, personally asking for your help - asking for you to help change the lives of others who might not have that opportunity again.  Please consider donating, so that we can enable the Tanzanians to undertake their development, their way.  

Looking to the future,
let’s make it happen today

£14,500 * could buy a car in the UK, it could pay for the cruise of a lifetime in the Caribbean or even a big family holiday to Disney World, Florida… or it could educated hundreds of children in a remote village in Tanzania so that one day they too can have such hopes and dreams come true. £14,500 * is a lot of money, and we wouldn’t ask just one person to give it all but consider this: just £44 pays for all he binding wire we need; £167 pound pays for all the nails, £278 covers the builder for a whole month. Whatever you can donate will make a huge difference to so many for generations to come, and who knows maybe one day one of these children will be heading up a school of their own.

Financials *

We need £4,500 to put the roof on urgently (this appeal for funds).  We will need £14,500 to complete the project by year-end and that includes roof, windows and door frames, decorations, staff costs and transport as well as furniture.  We are seeking these funds from a variety of sources including a number of appeals.