In 2022, we joyfully welcomed 11 new children to our Rift Valley Children’s Village family. Every time a child joins our family, we embark on a unique journey of supporting them through their adjustment to their new home, introducing them to our traditions, and facilitating bonds with their new brothers and sisters.

We are thrilled to introduce you to the newest members of our forever family!

When we started our partnership with Oldeani Primary School in March of this year, we knew we had a long road ahead in transforming Oldeani Primary into a school that delivered the kind of education every student deserves. As we finish the academic year, we are incredibly proud of the team that has been built and the progress that has been made together.

As we approach our 20th year of operations, we have thought critically about the impact we have made and the needs that remain present in our community. We are celebrating this anniversary by growing our Rift Valley Children’s Village family, treating a record number of patients, and by DOUBLING the number of students we serve.

As we transition Oldeani Secondary School (OSS) into a residential campus, we are focused on providing students with far more than just safe housing. By creating an environment that is safe and empowering, we can ensure students will thrive both in and outside of the classroom!

While we build out new avenues of mental health support at RVCV, we also want to ensure that all children in our catchment area are leading happy, healthy lives. In order to benefit as many children as possible, TCF conducts mental health trainings for the teachers at all three of our partner schools.

The goal for all of our partner schools is to create student-centered, high-performing academic institutions. In order to give every student the best chance of success, we are dedicated to catering to all learning styles and providing students with the individualized attention they deserve.

Since the start of our partnership, students and staff at Gyetighi Primary School (GPS) have worked hard to achieve academic success. Dedicated to providing students with a holistic education, TCF introduced Art, Dance, and Music classes to inspire and motivate students at Gyetighi Primary School. 

We are now 6-months into our partnership with Oldeani Primary School (OPS)! When we began co-managing OPS, there were only 6 teachers for 700 students, limited school supplies and learning materials, crumbling infrastructure, and little student support. 

2022 has been our busiest year yet as we start making major investments in Education to provide more students with the opportunities they deserve. This year, we started on two of our biggest projects: taking on a new primary school partnership and transforming OSS into a residential campus.

We are always so proud when the children of the Rift Valley Children’s Village (RVCV) graduate from higher education and become active citizens who will shape Tanzania’s future. With a number of older kids currently visiting home, we are learning more about their experiences in the workforce and wanted to share an update!

Thirty of our RVCV children have now graduated from post-secondary school and transitioned to their new lives as independent young adults. As we celebrate these young adults who are now social workers, safari guides, nurses, and entrepreneurs, we have additional capacity to welcome more vulnerable children who are in need of a loving family and permanent home.

The Student Teacher Program is aimed at tackling two major problems that face our community: dedicated, smart young adults unable to continue their education due to financial constraints and a limited number of teachers available to give primary school students the individual attention they need.

In Tanzania, 15% of rural households are defined as food insecure. As an organization, we are actively monitoring additional threats to food security as Tanzania continues to be impacted by secondary impacts of the pandemic, rising global food prices, and a below-average rainy season.

Last month, we announced that we will soon be starting construction on our first-ever dormitory at Oldeani Secondary School (OSS). Transitioning OSS to a fully residential campus is the next critical step towards improving student outcomes and we have the data and student testimonials to prove it.

It is hard to describe just how far TCF’s Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) program has come in the last few years. When I first volunteered at RVCV in 2016, ECCE served only 16 kids between the ages of 3 and 6 years old.

We are constantly growing our programs in an attempt to create holistic change for this community, but one of the challenges we still face is ensuring that our community is aware of all the programs we offer. Elizabeth lives in a neighboring village and learned she was pregnant with her second child in August of 2021.

One of the biggest challenges facing students today is the walk to school. Most Oldeani Secondary students walk over two hours to school each day. In a country where 23% of all sexual assaults occur on the walk to school, this unmanageable commute puts our students at significant risk.

Ruth Hamza is a 58-year-old entrepreneur from Oldeani who has been living with epilepsy for 10 years. As part of TCF’s commitment to improving our community’s health and well-being, we have been working to expand knowledge surrounding chronic illnesses.

In 2022 we are taking huge strides in deepening our impact in education to better serve more students in our community. In addition to expanding our school partnerships, we have kicked off our Teacher Training Program.

India, who is pursuing a Clinical Medicine degree, spends her school breaks interning at our Rural Community Health Clinic. Through hands-on experience, India has gained a wide variety of practical skills.