Shelter, food and healthcare

Program overview:

Mkombozi’s residential centre has cared for Tanzania’s street children since its inception in 1997, and there is now more than 60 children in care at the centre. Additionally, we sponsor the living arrangements of three small group homes for over 15 older youth (young men and women) who have moved out of the streets or residential centre and are preparing for self sufficient housing.

In particular, Mkombozi encourages older street girls, particularly those who have small children of their own, to move away from street life into group housing with their peers. Members of the Mkombozi girl's group house develop their own norms and rules for living together and within the community surrounding them. Social Workers visit once a week to offer support and advice whilst respecting the need to offer young people the space to be independent. Mkombozi supplies weekly groceries, bedding, mattresses and cooking equipment (which remain the property of the Mkombozi house) and pay for water and electricity. Similarly, the house members' education or employment progress is monitored. After six months of stability in employment, each girl moves out of group housing into their own accommodation, freeing up space in the group house for other girls to access the opportunities.

Although Mkombozi believes the primary role of an NGO should not be delivery of social services, we are morally obliged to offer the care and safe space to street children that they have failed to find in the wider world. The provision of shelter, food and healthcare to street children will continue as an integral element in Mkombozi's work, given that there are currently few alternative care options available for children wishing to leave the streets.

Indeed, institutional care of children should be a "last resort", but the fact is that the Ministry of Community Development Gender and Children is one of the most under resourced departments in Tanzania, and thus, it is imperative that organisations like Mkombozi continue to offer basic child protection services.

Moreover, because street children run a 1 in 3 chance of being raped if they sleep on the streets, Mkombozi is compelled to offer the safe space of our residential centre.

Current shelter, food and healthcare team targets:

• Each year, to provide 150 street children / youth with food, medical care, clothes, safe shelter, recreation and care services (i.e. case work, life skills, problem solving, conflict management, linkage to other services such as self reliance, reunification, education).
• To collect and analyse a baseline of average BMI (i.e. Body Mass Index) and infection rates in Mkombozi's Children's database.

For more information:

• Mkombozi Census 2005, A comparative analysis of Tanzania’s most vulnerable children: Situation and trends in street child populations in Arusha and Moshi from 2003 to 2005 (PDF 4.1mb)
• Mkombozi seeks alternatives to residential care (PDF 55kb)

Close window