Tanzanian Children’s Fund (TCF) is the engine powering the Rift Valley Children’s Village (“the Village”) and the ripple of community support programs that grew from an authentic belief of “it takes a village”.
Currently 149 members of this “forever family” call themselves brother and sister. More that 40 are in college or launched with jobs and families of their own. They were the first to come to the Rift Valley’s poverty challenged coffee country (“the community”). When these kids were old enough to attend school, founders of TCF, knew the underperforming nearby schools were not an option.
Forever Family
The ripple began. Starting with the nearby primary school, TCF in partnership with the government, now runs 2 primary and 1 secondary, top performing schools in the region. The benefit for Village kids was intended to ripple to the community. I know community kids who, along with their friends from the Village, have benefited from a quality education, some receiving TCF college scholarships.
Good friend Saidi with his little guy Kassim, is an older launched kid from the Village. He got a degree in economics and is in administration at FAME hospital where I volunteer each year.
My friend Ladislaus and his little girl Everna. He grew up in the surrounding community, attended TCF partnership schools and is now an askari at FAME hospital.
By nature, a ripple spreads. To supplement community income, TCF’s microfinance program REAP provides loans to local men and women. RVWG focuses on empowering women through sewing and handicrafts and facilitates sale of the goods they create.
RVWG at work.
A delightful pre-school is available for village kids and those of the nearly 200 employees working at the village.
THE MEDICAL CLINIC RIPPLE
That brings me to the focus of this blog, the TCF medical clinic that sits adjacent to the Village. It serves the Village family, its employees, and the surrounding coffee country. I first encountered the clinic through my work at FAME, the rural hospital in Karatu.
Through my in-depth work at RVCV in 2023 I met Dr. Africanus and the clinic nurse. It was clear they were part of the ripple. In my 2025 visit expansion of the clinic including, lab and pharmacy, was not a surprise and I was impressed with their understanding that a public health program could benefit all. I spent much of the two weeks with the expanded clinic team helping them to identify the public health issues of the Village kids and workers; and the surrounding community. Both lists were extensive with only a few similarities. I left them with a recommendation to focus and collaborate. I also left a grant to help fund their work.
Not knowing what I would find on my 2026 return, I was so proud of their accomplishments. I wish I could take credit, but it was totally this very talented team who implemented a public health strategy that any grad school would be proud of.
They started with their SMART goal. Reduce the risk of non-communicable disease (NCD) by addressing nutrition.
As context for their work, they presented global data for the burden of NCD, then national statistics, and finally the results of their local survey.
Emmanuel leading the review as I sit in awwww.
Initiatives were identified
- Health education sessions
- Joint exercise program in the Village
- Collaboration with Village permaculture program
- Collaboration with REAP/RVWG, the public health center, and coffee plantations for community outreach
Education focused on the risk factors of hypertension and diabetes
- Body weight
- Glucose levels
- Hypertension
- Pre-hypertension
- Normotension
STRATEGIC ACTIVITIES
They presented the proverb “the persuasion of the fortunate sways the doubtful” to introduce the Village employee research group. The group was chosen randomly by the kids in the Village. They were exposed to nutrition education and regular group exercise. House mamas involved were not into weightlifting, so they organized daily walks. (This explained the missing bellies I noticed when I first arrived.) Their improved numbers and the obvious health benefit was a model for the Village. I look forward to more numbers as they continue to track success and the ripple effect of the research group.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
- A proposal for using healthier cooking oil in the Village and Joshua’s permagarden feeds the Village healthy food and is a model for community gardens
Joshua’s (red checked shirt) permagarden. Mamas cook healthy for their houses.
- The FAME nutritionist, nurse Jacob, was invited to join training and expand on and off campus training.
- A television was added to the clinic waiting area where videos on nutrition, cooking vegetables and other related education entertains clinic patients.
- Money was also used to expand the waiting area, as word is out and community folks come to watch the videos and chat about what they see.
Clinic with TV expansion!
More that 300 have received education on NCDs through collaborations with the following:
- Village staff
- Community members who received loans through REAP/RVWG
- Offered through the public clinic in Oldeane
- Offered to coffee companies for their employees
Sessions
I am proud and honored to work with an organization like TCF, their talented staff, and wonderful forever family. Knowing how we can make a difference in the broader world is sometimes challenging. If you need help, ask me! I will tell you that volunteering at the Rift Valley Children’s Village is a gift.
https://tanzanianchildrensfund.org/
Family values👍
Where in the world are you Diane? 