One of Tanzania’s most serious social problems is the death of 20 women in childbirth every day, caused by HIV/AIDS, birth complications, malnutrition, poor medical care or a combination of these factors.

In the absence of a lactating mother, the most common outcomes for these children are either to be placed in an orphanage; or alternatively to be abandoned or remain with extended family – both of which sadly often result in malnutrition or death.

A full 47% of Tanzanians live below the poverty line of $2.50 CAN per day. The price of a tin of formula milk is $17 CAN, well beyond the reach of most extended family attempting to care for an orphaned infant.

The project addresses food and economic insecurity and provides a practical solution to the orphan crisis by taking the infants and their extended families, often headed by grandmothers and aunts, on year long journey of nutrition, education, financial well-being and empowerment. Where family care is not possible, the Forever Angels Baby Home provides a safe and stimulating environment, including specialized Special Needs support and premature new-born care, until a new family can be found.

Goals 

• Improve nutrition of the infant and entire extended family (where applicable);
• Improve the family income through setting up a small business and on-going coaching;
• Reduce number of malaria cases in malarial areas;
• Improve general quality of life of all family members;
• Support the search for relatives of orphaned or abandoned infants and support re-integration or finding of new families where blood relatives cannot be found.

Activities

• Provide nutrition in the form of formula milk (and peanut butter for older children) to orphaned infants;
• Give crisis funding if required – eg housing, medical care, food parcels, clothing, household items – to support the family through time of most need;
• Set family up with small scale business including weekly business skills training and mentoring to provide independence and a source of dignity and status in their community;
• Provide mosquito nets to reduce incidence of malaria;
• Provide weekly training/education for family on topics to reduce infant mortality to include hygiene and sanitation, food and nutrition, HIV/AIDs/ malaria/diarrhea/COVID-19 prevention, First Aid, maternal Health (to prevent further maternal death);
• For orphaned and abandoned children with no known relatives, to provide 24-hour interim care in small groups to include food, medicine, hygiene, pre-school education, special needs support if required, physical activity and loving care from experienced care-givers.

Key Performance Indicators to be reached (KPIs)

• Minimum 30% (double the WHO GUIDELINES) weight increase of mal-nourished infants in Maisha Matters (outreach) and Baby Home programs within 3 months of admittance;
• Family income doubled by end of outreach program (approximately 12 months) for all participating in business skills program;
• Minimum 75% of abandoned or cared for children in the Baby Home are found relatives or new adoptive parents to enable them to be raised in a loving family.

 Myriad Canada is working with Forever Angels on this project, a non-profit that provides interim care for orphaned and abandoned children in Tanzania and empowers their adoptive families to care for their children in their homes. The Forever Angels Maisha Matters (maisha means ‘life’ in Swahili) approach is unique but replicable as there are Social Franchise arrangements with other NGOs.