THE FAMILY HOME

A big family

Malaika welcomes children alone and in need in Arusha, Tanzania.

Malaika welcomes children alone and in need in Arusha, Tanzania. We host some of the many abandoned children, orphans or kids whose families are in distress. That’s why we’re called Malaika, “angel” in the Swahili language.
Arusha Social Services entrusts us with children, sometimes for many years, sometimes for short periods: some of them find a local family that adopts them, others have the good fortune to be reunited with their family of origin. But everyone, no exception, finds a safe and loving environment at home in Malaika.
Every day we guarantee our children healthy food, medical care, a good education, and, most importantly, love. In Malaika, the environment is familiar and far from the institutional environment that is typical of this kind of structure. That’s why, even when the kids leave us, the bond does not fade, and sometimes they return to visit their brothers and sisters in the family home.

Also the staff is part of the large family of Malaika, made up of a local team that alternates in daily activities such as house management, caring for children, helping them with homework, working with them in the garden and the henhouse, and also involving them in domestic tasks.
We consider this involvement very important because it allows children to grow up knowing the culture and traditions of their community so that as they become adults, they can become an integral part of it.
The structure of Malaika has evolved to follow the development and the growing number of children we look after. In all, we have supported and accompanied 56 children since the beginning of our activity.
To follow the expansion of the Malaika family, we built new structures near the central building over the years and purchased facilities to carry out all the activities.

Thanks to the help of our supporters in the decade 2011-2020 we realized:

  • 2012

    • Construction of an external warehouse
    • Excavation of a second well (unfortunately unproductive)
    • Construction of an outdoor kitchen

  • 2013

    • Office and toilet construction outside
    • Construction of an incinerator
    • Renovation of the interior furniture of the first dwelling

  • 2014

     

    •  Underground rainwater storage tanks and
    irrigation of vegetable gardens
    • Hot water circuit for showers powered by solar panels
    • Construction of a football pitch

  • 2015

    • Construction of a new building with rooms for children
    • Construction of rooms for volunteers
    • Purchase of a school bus
    • Awning for cars and minivan
    • External fence wall (mandatory intervention)

  • 2016

    • Main building: renovation of roof, floors and toilets
    • Reconstruction of the septic tank, also extended to the new construction
    • Installation of wind blade and new solar panels
    • Greenhouse with irrigation for vegetable cultivation

  • 2017

    • Paving around the house

  • 2018

    • Purchase of a vehicle for all center management activities,
    including family search in remote and rugged areas
    • Rebuilding of water storage towers

  • 2019

    • Renovation of the playground

  • 2020

    • No extra activity, due to the pandemic

  • 2021

    • Special maintenance work in the office, outdoor kitchen and boys' home