Ujamaa Children's Home
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 2009 by Australian women, Carley Mchome and Lucy Bradlow, the idea was simple – to give children in need the love and support of a family and a place to call home. We started with 2 kids and we now have 17 with the intention of bringing up to 20 children into our family.
Through our work in Tanzania we have found that often children are taken into large, corrupt organisations where they are piled in together without proper care and sent out to fend for themselves at 16 years old – only to find themselves in trouble again. This leads to the development of further 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. So in the development of 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.
In the development world, reunification is considered ‘best practice’ when it comes to orphaned and vulnerable children and we fully support children being returned to their families whenever that option is available. However, the reality is that there are many circumstances where it is simply not safe, or there is no one available to care for children and that is 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. Ujamaa Children’s Home is a small scale, niche provider to give children a family when they don’t have one.
What we do is about changing the cycle of poverty. These kids are the future of Tanzania and we can help them to create a future for their country; One child at a time. So far we have a girl who wants to be a Policewoman, a girl who wants to be a Lawyer and a boy who wants to be President of Tanzania. We know they can do it!
Ujamaa Children’s Home runs exclusively on the support of Sponsors and Donors worldwide. We have very low administrative costs and all Trustees volunteer their time and expertise to the organisation. The only paid staff are the hard working Tanzanians who are at the home on a daily basis. Therefore we guarantee that over 90% of funds donated go directly to support children in need.
If you are interested in supporting the home or would like more information about what we do, please contact us: ujamaa.children@gmail.com
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 2009 by Australian women, Carley Mchome and Lucy Bradlow, the idea was simple – to give children in need the love and support of a family and a place to call home. We started with 2 kids and we now have 17 with the intention of bringing up to 20 children into our family.
Through our work in Tanzania we have found that often children are taken into large, corrupt organisations where they are piled in together without proper care and sent out to fend for themselves at 16 years old – only to find themselves in trouble again. This leads to the development of further 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. So in the development of 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.
In the development world, reunification is considered ‘best practice’ when it comes to orphaned and vulnerable children and we fully support children being returned to their families whenever that option is available. However, the reality is that there are many circumstances where it is simply not safe, or there is no one available to care for children and that is 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. Ujamaa Children’s Home is a small scale, niche provider to give children a family when they don’t have one.
What we do is about changing the cycle of poverty. These kids are the future of Tanzania and we can help them to create a future for their country; One child at a time. So far we have a girl who wants to be a Policewoman, a girl who wants to be a Lawyer and a boy who wants to be President of Tanzania. We know they can do it!
Ujamaa Children’s Home runs exclusively on the support of Sponsors and Donors worldwide. We have very low administrative costs and all Trustees volunteer their time and expertise to the organisation. The only paid staff are the hard working Tanzanians who are at the home on a daily basis. Therefore we guarantee that over 90% of funds donated go directly to support children in need.
If you are interested in supporting the home or would like more information about what we do, please contact us: ujamaa.children@gmail.com
Ujamaa Foundation in registered Australian Charity with DGR status which primarily supports
Ujamaa Children's Home Tanzania.
All donations made in Australia are fully tax deductible.
Learn more about our home through this Short Documentary "My Home is my Family...The Story of Ujamaa Children's Home"
Written and Directed by Carley Mchome in 2017.
Written and Directed by Carley Mchome in 2017.