MSAMARIA STREET KIDS CENTRE

MSAMARIA CENTER FOR STREET CHILDREN
Community Center Home – teaching and caring for children

General Information
Mission and Needs of the Partner Program
The Msamaria Center for street children is a philanthropic NGO providing support and care to street and orphaned children, families and communities. Msamaria was established by the group of scial workers in Oct 2007 and has temporary registration under the Department of Social Welfare. Msamaria has capacity to accomodate 50 children at a time, with ages ranging from 7-14 years, all males.

The objective of Msamaria is to be an outreach to run away, homeless or abandoned children, who lack abilities, resources or family support to reside in normal domestic situation. They strive to help children develop the skills needed to reintegrate into their community.

Volunteer Activities / Duties
 Working in small groups to teach English, reading, writing, math, basic hygiene and nutrition.
 Support the staff in fundraising initiatives.
 Help arrange recreational programs such as sports, drama, singing, dancing, etc
 For volunteers with significant counseling experience, there may be an opportunity to assist the local staff with family counseling.
 Organize projects and activities for the children, as well as sharing new ideas with the staff.
 Assist in daily chores and activities at the center (garden, animal projects, laundry, cooking, etc)
 Be a role model. Encourage and praise the children while also enforcing rules of good behavior.
 Spend time with the boys and give as much love as possible!

Goals of the Partner Program
Long-Term
Msamaria strives to provide food, shelter and care for vulnerable children. With the assistance of volunteers, the caretakers are able to provide more attention to each individual child.

Short-Term
Volunteers are expected to assist the caretakers in their existing daily routine, establishing a solid rapport with them as well as with the children. Fundraising is much needed, and the staff will be interested in sharing ideas.




Useful Supplies
• There are some supplies left over at the Home-Base for volunteers to use for arts and crafts activities (crayons, paints, paper, glue, etc.).
• As people will be very interested in learning about you and your life, please bring “Show and Tell” items, including photos of your family and things representative of your daily life.
• Please begin brainstorming ideas for recreational activities / games for the students.
• Special materials* are welcome, but not required. In the past, volunteers have found the following materials useful at this placement:
• Simple children’s materials (i.e. games, books, cards, board and table games, puzzles, etc.).
• Recreational materials (i.e. jump ropes, balls, Frisbees, bubbles, toys).
• Cassette tapes or CDs with basic English alphabets, word pronunciation and songs (there is a DVD player at the center)
• Magazines, brochures, and pieces of regalia in English to use as teaching tools.
• Puppets

* If you are not sure if some special materials or supplies are appropriate to bring with you in-country, please review CCS’ Gift Giving & Donations Policy (located in your Participant Handbook), or address your questions directly to your Program Manager.

Work Attire / Dress Code
• Skirts that cover your knees, loose capris (No shorts or jeans).
• Short sleeves or polo, knitted type of shirts (No thin-strapped/strapless tops).
• Sturdy sandals, tennis shoes or sneakers
• Clean clothing without stains, tears or pants that drag on the ground.
• Please be sure that most tattoos are covered.


Partner Program Staff
Name Position
Folkward Mapunda Founder


CCS Alumni who have volunteered at this placement (I encourage you to contact them with questions)



Things to Remember
• Keep a positive, open-mind.
• Interact with staff and students.
• Maintain a sense of humor.
• Be patient, flexible, friendly and respectful.
• Try to observe the routine as much as possible and refrain from taking pictures during your first week.
• Take initiative—Plan activities in advance and communicate your ideas or questions to the in-country staff.
• Remember the CCS Vision, Mission, and Values (located in your Participant Handbook and our website).

Kituo cha Watoto wa Rau (Rau Kids Centre)

Organization Name- Kituo cha Watoto wa Rau (Rau Kids Centre)

Alumni references: Lindsay Cates: cates.18@osu.edu
Jennifer Ellen-Batson: Jennifer-ellen@hotmail.co.uk

Founder
The place was found in mid June 2007. The place was founded by past CCS Volunteer (Marcy Berlin) who was at CCS Rau program for 5 weeks (December to January) and was working with Women Group called KIWODEA. She had a project to accomplish and so she came back to Tanzania but the project didn’t work out well. As she was staying in the village during school vacation most of the kids were just hanging and playing around. She then come up with the idea of bringing the kids together so that they play safe while learning and building strong relationships with each other. She started at Deo glocery with 8 kids but the next day 15 kids showed up, the other day 25 kids and the number has been growing each day and now there are almost 60 kids. Due to increase in number of kids and the nature of the place where the kids used to meet, one of the villagers decided to provide her garden so the kids can play more safely.
The place has no source of income and so completely no resources.
The place is located in Rau Village 5 Minutes walking from CCS Rau Home base.
Currently the centre is operating in two sessions morning session which starts at 9am to 11.30 am and evening session which starts at 4.30pm and ends 6.30 pm. The morning session is for kids of 3-6 years who can not afford to go to daycare centres and/or nursery schools and the evening session which is for the kids of ages 7-15years where most of them go to public schools in the morning. In every session most of the kids who come to the centre are boys (3:1, boys: girls).

Mission of the placement

- helping the kids to discover their skills
- give the kids the freedom to express themselves due to the fact that most of the schools are so strict and they undergo corporal punishment so the kids are not free to express themselves
- to help the mothers do other home activities because due to cultural values of Tanzania it’s the woman who do all the activities at home so having the kids away from home for 2 to 3 hours will help them a lot
- To provide the kids the place where they can play safely while learning
- helping the kids of lower ages 3-5 who can not afford to go to daycare centres because most of the parents are poor
- helping the kids to know each other and build strong relationships/ friendship with each other
- Offer the kids the place where they can learn simple English (writing, reading, conversation etc.), General studies (environment, sanitation, health) etc.

Volunteers Activities
Organize projects and activities for the kids
Play games with the kids
Teach the kids simple English, numbers, mathematics and games
Doing art with the kids
Spend time with kids, make them feel comfortable and empower them
(Activities should base on the age)

Useful Supplies
As the centre has completely no supply so any school supply will do like crayons
Paper/work sheets, pens, reading books, simple English to Swahili dictionaries. Also the supplies to play games with will also help like soccer balls, balloons, ropes etc.

Contact Person:
Marcy Berlin - msb10025@rcn.com
Sara Mponzi- sarahmponzi@yahoo.com

Mahabusu Ya Watoto (Teenage Juvenile Detention Hall)

Alumni references: Mona Quinn - monaquinn@verizon.net
Ramon Diaz - ramondiaz9480@gmail.com
Allison Basile - arbasile11@hotmail.com

Overview

Mahabusu ya watoto is a subsidy of the National Ministry of Health and Community Development. Founded in 1970 by the social welfare department the facility seeks to re-integrate juvenile offenders accused of, or awaiting trial for violent and non-violent crimes. The detention hall accepts kids from the Moshi court system between the ages of 12 – 16. At maximum capacity the facility will have 45 enrolled juveniles and a minimum of 16. Mahabusu ya watoto currently has seven staff members, including Steven Gumbo, Head Warden /Supervisor, Assistant Supervisor Josophine Anton, one cook, security guard, health care professional, and cleaner. Day-to-day responsibilities such as cleaning, cooking, washing and other activities are the responsibility of the juveniles. The facility relies in part on a parcel of land used for farming and rain collection (up to 40,000 ltrs.) as a means to provide food and provide useful experience. The teens are responsible for the work necessary to bring the crops from seed to stove The facility provides food and shelter only. Other essentials (i.e. clothing, shoes) are seldom donated by outside sources and are the responsibility of the teens. Formal and informal education is provided by staff or volunteers however much of the staff and many of the volunteers have little training. Areas that are emphasized aside from basic survival skills are farming, carpentry, tailoring, and other vocational skills in which volunteer teachers may have had experience. Currently one staff member is teaching radio repair. Mahabusu ya watoto conducts interviews of the juveniles and home visits are made to assess living conditions and environmental factors contributing to the delinquency. A membership of active individuals participating in the well being of the detention hall meets once a month to discuss the progress and direction of the facility. The Mahabusu ya watoto program also assesses the direction of the courts decision pertaining to the child. In addition to the juvenile mandate full probationary service is provided for older offenders. Among the responsibilities Mahabusu ya watoto makes further recommendations to the courts and plays a pivotal role in punishment of teens.

Problems facing the facility

Currently there are many problems facing the facility. There is a high turn-around rate except for the most violent offenders. Many kids opt to leave, continue to be disruptive or run away when given the opportunity. Staffing is very short and operating current at 50% of the needed support. There is an inadequate infrastructure and equipment to fully and safely conduct the necessary functions of the program. For example there are no means of transportation for staff to or from home/environment calls. The facility has no permanent volunteers and most long term volunteers have other obligations that only allow them to volunteer on Sundays (i.e. church groups that make up a majority of the volunteers)

Volunteers Activities
- Helping with interview process and registering new juveniles
- Aiding with support for home visits
- Education programs and instruction for the teens
- General support measures for the facility
- Engaging juveniles in constructive activities
- Developing and exacting adequate facilities for departing juveniles

Additional opportunities for volunteers

In addition to instructing and aiding the teens at the center the volunteers/staff need training in child care education, sanitation practices, English, grammar and a wide range of other practical skill one might receive elsewhere.

Working hours

The facility operates on a three shift schedule as follows;

7:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
2:30 p.m.– 6:30 p.m.
6 pm – 7 a.m.

Children's Centers General Information

In Rau we have two children centres, Mahabusu ya Watoto (Juvenille Detention Centre) and Kituo cha Watoto wa Rau (Rau Kids Centre). in Mahabusu ya Watoto the ages are from 12-18years while in Kituo cha Watoto wa Rau the ages are from 3-16years. The activities at these placement they vary but the common ones are teching and playing with the kids.