Ujamaa Children’s Home isn’t just an orphanage; it’s a home. We raise our children in a family environment where they live together as brothers and sisters and this bond will remain for the rest of their lives. We provide the highest level of care and education and we do this by maintaining small numbers and a close-knit family.
We give our kids the chance to live happy and fulfilled lives as adults by providing Primary and Secondary Education as well as support with further study (university, trade school) based on what they want to do. We don’t stop supporting them just because they turn 18 years. This is a long-term commitment and we are excited to see our children grow into the exceptional adults we know they have the potential to become.
"Ujamaa" (pronounced oo-jah-maa) is a Swahili word that means extended family and is based on the individual working for the good of the whole community.
Founded in December 2009 by Australian women, Carley Mchome and Lucy Bradlow, the idea was simple – to give children in need the love, security and support of a family and a place to call home. It started with 2 young girls and we now have 17 children aged between 3-19 years, with capacity for 20 children in the home.
At Ujamaa Children’s Home we ensure that our kids grow up in a safe and nurturing environment where they receive full education and ongoing support into adulthood. Our experience has taught us that often vulnerable children are taken into large, corrupt organisations where they are not given proper care and sent out to fend for themselves at 16 years old – only to find themselves in trouble again. This increases the need for more organisations; street kids programs, vocational training programs and youth initiatives to try to help these teens and young adults to support themselves in the world. What we do is about changing the cycle of poverty - one child at a time. The kids are the future of Tanzania and we support them to achieve all their dreams. Some of our kids want to be doctors and nurses, some want to be teachers, some want to be mechanical engineers and pilots...and one exceptional young man who wants to be the President of Tanzania. With the right education and personal development - we know they can do it!
Ujamaa Children’s Home is a small scale, niche provider to give children a family when they don’t have one. While Reunification is always the best option when it is possible, the reality is that there are some circumstances where it is simply not safe, or there is no one available to care for children - and that's where Ujamaa Children's Home comes in. We do our due diligence and carefully screen any child coming into our home to ensure that they are truly in need. We get cases of children coming from horrific circumstances, that no child should ever experience, and we give them a brand-new life filled with love and support and the opportunity to live happy and successful lives.
If you are interested in supporting the home or would like more information about what we do, please contact: ujamaa.children@gmail.com
Learn more about our Ujamaa Family with this Short Documentary: "My Home is my Family...The Story of Ujamaa Children's Home" Written and Directed by Carley Mchome in 2017