Children’s home in Tanzania provides hope and education to street children using TeachAids
Amani is the Swahili word for peace, and as the name implies, the Amani Children’s Home is a haven of peace and safety for Tanzania’s most vulnerable children who are left homeless because of poverty, abuse, and loss.
In April, the Amani Children’s Home in Moshi, Tanzania shared the TeachAids software for the first time with about 90 street children staying at the home. This effort to educate and empower vulnerable children supports Amani’s commitment to Rescuing Children, Restoring Hope, and Transforming Lives. Many of the street children staying at the home have been either directly or indirectly affected by HIV and AIDS, as approximately 1.2 million adults are living with HIV in Tanzania and an estimated 100,000 Tanzanians were newly infected in 2009.
For over a decade, street children in Moshi have found comfort and support in the Amani Children’s Home. Founded by local Tanzanians to respond to the needs of a growing population of street children in the Kilimanjaro region of the country, Amani Children’s Home has rescued hundreds of children from the perils of street life, including malnutrition and abuse. The home provides food, education, counseling and medical care for all children who seek help. Whenever possible, the home reunites children with family members. The home is also dedicated to empowering street children with knowledge and education, particularly with regard to HIV and AIDS.
Currently, about 90 children are living in the center (aged 8-17), and the home hopes to share the TeachAids animations with all of them. New children are always coming to the center, so the home plans to continue to share the TeachAids material with them as they arrive.
It really helps to have materials that are produced in Kiswahili. Many media materials in audio/video form are in English, which makes them impossible to use in a setting like Amani. TeachAids is very accessible and easy to use in a setting with youth. It is engaging and fun for them, which helps hold their attention … our kids have learned a lot from it!
– Nicole Ide, Health Assistant, Amani Children’s Home
Others have also used TeachAids material in Tanzania, including NGOs such as Support for International Change and individuals such as Saruni Olodi, who was inspired to bring the HIV education to his hometown in Arusha after coming across the animations online.
TeachAids is delighted to partner with the Amani Children’s Home in their service and support for street children in Tanzania.
Photo: Amani Children’s Home shares TeachAids software with street children in Moshi, Tanzania.