Population:  103,646
Targeted districts and communities: 1 district, 6 communities
Sponsored children: Around 5,560

Kisarawe Programme Unit is located in the coast region, near Dar es Salaam city. About 95% of inhabitants depend on agriculture, which is mainly for subsistence.

Since 1997, Plan Tanzania has been working in Kisarawe, implementing programmes to support needy children, their families and communities. This has been done through partnership with Kisarawe District Council, and other partners including local community-based organisations. 

Programme highlights

Community health promotion

Plan Tanzania is implementing a number of projects to ensure the good health and survival of children, their families and communities. These include training on good health practices, HIV and AIDS awareness and nutrition.

We also support disabled children with wheelchairs and special education, provide medication, train health workers and distribute subsidised mosquito nets to tackle the spread of malaria.

Enabling children to learn

Through our school improvement programme, we help poor children to pay their primary and secondary school fees, and support centres for early childhood care and development education by providing textbooks and other supplies.

Working with communities, we have also helped construct classrooms, dormitories, teachers’ houses and offices, and developed the capacity of teachers and students to succeed in the classroom.

Water and environmental health

Plan Tanzania has constructed rainwater harvesting and water distribution systems, latrines, dams and drilled boreholes in schools and communities across Kisarawe.

 Through our Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach, we educate communities about the importance of sanitation and help them to construct and maintain their own latrines in an effort to stop open defecation.

We also work to ensure children, their families and communities are supported in managing water resources and aware of basic hygiene and sanitation tips, including the solar water disinfection (SODIS) method, where water is exposed to the sun in glass bottles for 6 hours to kill bacteria.

Sustainable family livelihoods

To ensure sustainable livelihoods, Plan Tanzania supports the formation of Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs), which help people typically unable to borrow from commercial banks to save and access credit, enabling them to invest in their businesses and provide for their families.

We also provide vocational training scholarships and training in income generating projects and entrepreneurial skills for youths.

Sauti ya Watoto (Children’s  voices)

Plan Tanzania has increased communities’ understanding, and respect for child rights through various interventions such as TV and radio programmes (Jukwaa la Watoto), debates (baraza) and participation in festivals such as the celebrations to mark the Day of the African Child.

Our Universal Birth Registration campaign has increased the number of children with birth certificates – providing them with an official identity and easier access to social services such as education and healthcare, while our Learn Without Fear campaign is helping to end violence in schools.

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