UKIMWI Orphans Assistance (UOA), an international 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, builds on the strength of the African cultural tradition in which the care of orphans is accepted as the responsibility of the members of kin or the extended family. It provides the necessities of life and basic services to enable (AIDS) orphans and vulnerable children in Africa to grow and develop into mature, responsible and self-dependent members of their communities and nations. It is also the mission of UOA to build, through socio-economic development, the capacity of the kinship groups/extended family members and communities in order to serve the needs of the children under their care.

Unsurpassed experience: in 15 years, UOA has accumulated experience issues facing the orphans, vulnerable children and families; and has distinguished itself in the following areas:

A Child-centered Goal: UOA aims at defending the child’s rights and welfare, self-determination, self-reliance, maturity and responsibility, integration with kin/family and community, as well as fighting against child abuse, child labor and exploitation.

UOA’s results-oriented approach: 1) supports identification, enumeration, and registration of all orphans; 2) supplies orphans in need with the basic requirements of life, and 3) facilitates establishment and management of social and economic development projects for the orphans themselves, for the host families of orphans, and 4) acts as a fiduciary preserving family land and assts inherited by minor orphans until they reach adulthood.

Commitment: UOA programs are committed to 1) alleviate hunger, provide shelter, clothing, and other necessities of life; 2) build each orphaned child’s confidence and ability to rely upon themselves economically and socially; 3) assure orphans have access to necessary resources and micro-capital to succeed in UOA facilitated self-reliance programs. UOA-facilitated host families are given the choice of a Banana/Coffee Plantation or Kibanja land-based orphans support project, outlined below.

A Light at the End of the Tunnel: “The Banana / Coffee Farm-Based Orphan Support Program:” in and beyond Tanzania’s Kagera region, local economic life and social organization is based upon the Kibanja, a kinship asset of a ½ - 2-hectare piece of land and where staple (banana) and supplementary foods and cash crops (coffee) are grown. Kibanja property is inherited from the father by the eldest son who holds it in trust for the members of the clan. Raising orphaned and other vulnerable children in the traditional environment of the Kibanja offers numerous social, educational, economic, and moral advantages over the cultural stigma, profound emotional risks and alienation found in institutional settings, even if they were available. Many orphaned children inherit Kibanja property and other assets from their deceased parents. UOA programs recognize that improving and developing orphaned children’s and their families’ Kibanja will significantly empower and appropriately increase their family’s and community capability to serve the needs of children under their care.

The UOA program centered on the improvement and development of sustainable banana and shade-grown coffee farms was found more effective and appropriate than any form of assistance. UOA’s multi-disciplinary field visits and investigations confirmed that locally initiated kinship-based programs would be more meaningful, effective and sustainable.

Village-based UOA programs are committed to the development of practical life skills in sustainable agriculture and venture development, family land use, and household management, AIDS prevention, health and wellness, primary and secondary education. Approximately 65 percent of the resources for these initiatives come from the extended family / kinship groups themselves. By necessity, given the ever-increasing needs, local ingenuity has generated numerous new business ventures.

Site Menu: