AFRICA BRIDGE

Core to Africa Bridge’s model is the establishment of a voluntary village committee, known as the Most Vulnerable Children Committee, which takes on responsibility for identifying and aiding vulnerable children and their families.

MVC Committees help address children’s barriers to school attendance, offer assistance in getting birth certificates and other legal protection, provide short-term food and shelter aid, offer care-giving and life-skills training provide recreational and social support to vulnerable children through Kids’ Clubs, and other similar activities.

MVC Committees also educate all villagers on topics such as health and nutrition, AIDS prevention, and legal protections. Additionally, committees nominate guardians to become members of new village agricultural cooperatives. The commitment and energies of devoted volunteers operate these committees independently and permanently, after start-up assistance from Africa Bridge.

In addition to establishing Most Vulnerable Children Committees, Africa Bridge provides a pathway to economic independence for caretakers of vulnerable children. This is done by establishing crop and livestock co-ops, providing start-up loans to co-op members, and offering intensive training.

Repayments of co-op loans from villagers go back into the co-ops, so they can expand their memberships to other impoverished families caring for vulnerable children. In addition to becoming the key to economic security for families, these co-ops are expected to divert some of their profits to provide a long-term source of support for the MVC Committees. In these ways, the MVC Committees and co-ops are interdependent and reinforcing.

Integrated, sustainable development requires comprehensive, holistic solutions. For most communities, access to healthcare and education is just as important as economic opportunity, social and legal support.

In addition to working with the Tanzanian government to build dispensaries and housing for medical professionals, Africa Bridge works with local villagers and school officials to build and renovate classrooms. The more kids who receive the support and resources necessary to attend school, the more crowded classrooms become. A solution was needed.

This Is My School was created by students and connects vulnerable schools in Tanzania with schools in the United States. Over the course of several years, these sister schools interact in a meaningful way to generate resources for schools supplies, desks, chairs and classroom improvements.

Children's clubs are where children play, talk, learn and grow together. They have general knowledge question and answer sessions and risk behavior session for increasing awareness .

To empower participants - village leaders, Ward Development committee members, Children Representatives, Empowerment Workers and Most Vulnerable Children Committee Members. Topics: children's rights and how to protect them, to understand issues around violence and inheritance laws and implications.