2009 - 2019

In 2008, our chairperson, Monique Derrez, embarked on her first mission to Tanzania, specifically to the village of Peramiho in the Ruvuma region. She served as a physiotherapist at the local missionary hospital—her original profession.

During her time there, she fell in love with the village and its people. Realizing she wanted to do more than just work for four weeks each year, Monique, along with two others, founded Stichting Peramiho on May 22, 2009, to support the local community and its projects. (In Dutch, ‘Stichting’ means ‘foundation.’)

Since then, we have supported the following projects:

2019 - 2024

In the meantime, we also began supporting a project outside of Peramiho and the Ruvuma region. The health centre we supported with equipment and an operating room is situated in Uwemba, Njombe region. This created some confusion, as the foundation's name referred to one region (Peramiho is in the Songea region), while we were working in another.

Additionally, the word ‘Stichting’ in our name, which means 'foundation,' was difficult to pronounce in English, and many people didn’t know what it meant. Often, they mistakenly called it 'stitching.' So, it was time for a name change. We kept the logo the same but only changed the name.

In 2017, we also shifted our focus on orphanages. We began having deep conversations with our local partner in Tanzania, the Missionary Benedictine Sisters, and shared our new insights on orphanages, particularly the belief that children belong in families. We conducted research in one of their orphanages, which at the time housed 19 children aged 0 to 4. Out of these, 18 children had either one or both parents still alive or other relatives. Several parents and relatives even visited the children.

The Sisters agreed that children belong in families and expressed their willingness to make a change. However, while our chairperson Monique was present, they transferred several children to another orphanage, 250 kilometers away—about a four-hour journey—without any attempt to see if these children could be placed with families. Monique wasn't able to prevent it, not even through the Regional Social Welfare Officer. It was a major setback, and further discussions did not lead to a positive outcome.

We then sought other ways and opportunities in Tanzania to raise awareness that children belong in families, operating under the motto 'Watoto Kwanza' (Children First).

Watoto Kwanza

As Stichting Peramiho and the Dutch Tanzania Foundation, we supported two orphanages for many years, believing we were doing the right thing. However, we gradually learned that children thrive better in families rather than in institutions. This realization led us to shift our focus from supporting institutions to advocating for family-based care.

We named our project "Watoto Kwanza," which is Swahili for "Children First." Our guiding principle is to prioritize the best interests of the child, as emphasized in the Tanzanian Children's Act, 'THE LAW OF THE CHILD ACT,' Article 4(2):

"The best interests of a child shall be a primary consideration in all actions concerning children whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts or administrative bodies."

The Act also highlights the importance of reintegration in Article 137(3):

"It shall be the responsibility of the staff of an approved residential home or institution, the social welfare officer and any other person responsible for maintenance of a child, to assist him to approve to become reunited with his parents, guardians or relatives."

We engaged with hundreds of people and gave numerous presentations to various stakeholders, including Members of Parliament, orphanage owners, church leaders, mosque representatives, professors, and teachers.

2024

We planted many seeds in Tanzania, and we trained one organization in the process of reintegrating children back into families.

During our work in Tanzania, our chairperson, Monique, was invited to give presentations and trainings in other countries, such as Kenya and Nepal.

As our focus continued to expand beyond Tanzania, it became clear that it was time for another name change. We chose the name "It Takes a Village Foundation" because nurturing and caring for children is not solely the responsibility of parents or immediate family members. The entire community plays a crucial role in their development and well-being—from parents to teachers, 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!