In 2022, the  founder and program director of Watoto Wa Africa (Children of Africa), Josephat Kirutu reached out to Bread and Water for Africa® for urgent help in preventing the orphanage he operates in Mwanza, Tanzania for 86 children from being closed by the government due to several noted deficiencies.

Among the issues was a lack of proper beds and bedding for the children in the youth, which thanks to the supporters of Bread and Water for Africa® not only were we able provide new mattresses, fix the broken bed frames that were repairable, and purchase additional ones along with new sheets and pillowcases, but we also outfitted each bed with mosquito nets to protect children from contracting malaria.

With our new partnership established and the number of children and youth residing at the orphanage since increased to 108, along with the fact that Josephat had informed us of the loss of a longtime benefactor of the orphanage had put severe financial strain on its operations, we are once again turning to our supporters for help in keeping the children housed and fed.

“Our aim is to improve the welfare of vulnerable children and provide for their basic needs – shelter, food, clothing, education, medical care, etc.,” says Josephat. “We aim to promote an environment for the most vulnerable children in which they can play and positively develop to reach their full potential.”

 He explained that the issue of orphans and those he refers to as “street children” is “acute due to urbanization and industrialization” and that a “recent drought in our area has aggravated the situation further.”

While most countries around the world have mitigated what was once known as the AIDS epidemic through education, medication and treatment, such is not the case in Tanzania   as the numbers of orphaned children continue to grow in the country of 21 million due to AIDS deaths, as well as unplanned and unwanted pregnancies and a general “absence of love.”

“These orphans and street children are left without care and support,” says Josephat. “These children are involved in ‘rag picking’ (searching through trash in hopes of finding something “valuable” to sell for a few cents), pickpocketing and participating on other antisocial and criminal activities.”

Among those who have found a loving home and hope for a brighter future are Josephina who arrived at the orphanage at age 10 in 2014 with her then-4-year-old brother Julius who had lost their parents to AIDS.

“They were living with their very old grandmother who could not take care of them,” explained Josephat. “The local government authorities intervened and notified social welfare officials who brought them to us from a neighboring village.”

Josephina, now 19, is on the verge of completing her secondary school with dreams of becoming a nurse, while Julius, now 13, is attending primary school.

More recent arrivals at the Watoto Wa Africa orphanage are 5-year-old Agnes and her 3-year-old brother, Charles, who were abandoned by their parents.

After government authorities were made aware of the situation by residents of their village, Agnes and Charles were brought to the orphanage by the social welfare officials, Josephat reported,

“They were left to fend for themselves.”

Today, Agnes is happily enrolled in nursery school, while Charles will start his formal education next year.