new Name and Website

 
 
 

WELCOME TO OUR NEW WEBSITE AND NAME

You searched for the Dutch Tanzania Foundation. You are at the right place, but since September 2024 the foundation has a new name and therefore a new website. On this page we will tell you all about this.

Since 2009 we have been active in Tanzania and together with local organisations we have completed several life-changing projects.

From 2009 to 2017, we also supported two orphanages, thinking we were doing the right thing. But in 2017, we learned that 80% of the children living in an orphanage have at least one living parent or other family members who could take care of them given the right support. We also learned that more than 80 years of research has shown the negative effects of growing up in an institution on a child's cognitive, emotional, and social development.

As the famous Maya Angelou wisely said: "Do the best you can until you know better. When you know better, do better."

We changed our approach and started to advocate that children belong in families and not in institutions like orphanages, children's homes, boarding schools (especially for young children), and large residential care institutions for children with disabilities. This became more and more the main focus of our work.

With our project 'Watoto Kwanza', which is Swahili for ‘Children first’, or as we put it: the child’s interest first, as mentioned in the 'UN Convention on the Rights of the Child' and the Tanzanian Children's Act, we planted many seeds in Tanzania to advocate that children belong in families and not in institutions. We also trained one organization on how to reintegrate children back into a family and we reintegrated one child back into the loving care of his parents, and he is thriving!

Our name change reflects the fact that our work now extends beyond just Tanzania and the Netherlands. We have been addressing the issue of children belonging in families, rather than institutional care, in other countries as well.

While we were active in Tanzania, we also collaborated with individuals involved in institutional care outside of the country. Our chairperson, Monique, was invited to give presentations and training in countries like Kenya and Nepal.

As our focus expanded beyond Tanzania, we felt it was time for a new name. We chose "It Takes a Village Foundation" because raising children is not solely the responsibility of parents or close family members. The entire community has a role to play in a child's development and well-being—everyone from parents and teachers to neighbors and grandparents.

it takes a village to raise a child

And only by working together as a village can we ensure that children grow up safely in a family setting, where they belong. Join us!