HOPE ACADEMY

For Tanzanian Children Growing Up Under Mt. Kilimanjaro

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Situated in East Africa, Tanzania is a beautiful country with a rich mix of natural assets and landscapes. Snowcapped Mt Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain on the African continent, towers majestically over the horizon, flamingos stand sentinel in the salt pans of the Ngorongoro Crater, wildebeest thunder by the thousands over the Serengeti Plains, and Indian Ocean breezes caress the white sands of Zanzibar’s Spice Islands.

However, amidst these natural wonders 17.5 million Tanzanian children live in the world’s worst poverty:

• The country’s $400 per capita GNI is less than 1% of the US’ GNI and is one of the lowest in the world

• More than 45% of Tanzanian children survive on less than $1 a day

• Only 67% of these children finish primary school, and only 5% attend junior high

• HIV prevalence is as high as 9% in Tanzania and has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands, leaving 1.2 million children orphaned, hungry, and searching for hope and a brighter future…

                              

The Hope English Medium Academy (HEMA or Hope Academy) located near Arusha, was established to care for and educate Tanzania’s most vulnerable children.  HEMA (in Kiswahili) means to breathe deeply.  Once a child joins the school s(he) starts to breath as the school gives the child the hope of living.  The school also prepares children to be strong, spiritually, financially, socially, intellectually and psychologically.

 

There are currently more than 50 children enrolled in the school.  Many of these children are orphans whose parents have died from HIV/AIDS.  Others come from very low-income families who are unable to support themselves.  Without Hope Academy, most of the children would not have food, clothing or education.   In the past 3 years, we have helped 15 of our children to enroll in higher level school. 60 families in the community have directly benefitted from our efforts.