Songea's Kids- Hope Village

Jirani Mwema leaders, the elders of Mshangano village, Songea Municipal and Ruvuma Regional government leaders worked together to assess needs and determine which buildings would form Hope Village so it best serves the orphans and villagers of Mshangano, one of the poorest villages or wards that make up Songea. When completed, Hope Village will contain residential homes for 160 of the most vulnerable children not well served by community-based care. Also a health clinic, nursery/pre-primary school, and vocational training school urgently needed by both the orphans and village children, facilities not present in their village of 14,000. These and other buildings listed below will be built in four phases.

Phase 1

Four homes for the orphans, each housing 10 children and a “mom”; a nursery/pre-primary school; a security wall and station, a deep, high-capacity well, a matron's house and storage. With funds provided by donors in Germany, construction is underway on the Assembly Hall and administrative offices. The Assembly Hall will provide space for children’s programs, caregiver training, and education programs on AIDS and other topics for Mshangano villagers. The assembly hall under construction

A well was drilled in 2010 to provide clean water for the villagers.

In the Jirani Mwema headquarters in Mshangano, a new library room is now open for use by the children cared for by Jirani Mwema. It contains solar lighting, locally made bookshelves, study table and chairs, and donated story books. We will raise funds to purchase textbooks so the children can study for their exams.

Phase 2

Living quarters for 40 additional orphans and their caregivers, a dispensary (health clinic), and housing for a doctor and nurses.

Phase 3

Living quarters for 40 additional orphans and their caregivers, a vocational school and computer room.

Phase 4

Living quarters for 40 additional orphans and their caregivers, manager's house, and matron assistant's apartment.

Working with our local and US partners, we are identifying environmentally friendly and sustainable technologies to introduce into Hope Village, improving daily life and health and leading to new ways of making a living.

Once Hope Village is completed and self sustaining, it can be a model for other villages seeking to improve care of their orphans and vulnerable children.