Fourteen years ago, I co-founded Toa Tumaini Foundation. We started in a small, humble, single-room school building with one teacher and twelve students. I can remember those early days as if they were only moments ago, the sound of children’s voices filling that tiny room, the weight of what we were trying to build, and the quiet hope that it might actually work.
The year before, I had met Carles while volunteering in Moshi, Tanzania, with Cross-Cultural Solutions. Carles was a local volunteer who helped international volunteers navigate cultural exchange and interpretation at their placements, and over time, I learned that he carried a dream of his own: to open a day care and safe space for young children in his community. That dream became a spark. In the earliest days, several of us joined together to make his dream a reality, and it’s grown from there.
Tanzania is a young country in the truest sense. Around 44% of its population is under the age of 15; compare that to just 17% in the U.S. That’s an enormous wave of children who need access to education. But the system meant to serve them is struggling to keep up.
Public school comes with costs that make it out of reach for many families, and private school isn’t even a conversation. For those who can afford public school, classrooms are often overwhelmed, with student-to-teacher ratios hovering around 50 to 1. Fifty children. One teacher. Not enough hours in the day, not enough space on the floor.
Toa Tumaini Foundation exists because every child deserves better than that. We work to improve access to quality education in Tanzania so that children can not only survive today, but also dream about tomorrow.
We believe kids deserve:
- Access to ongoing education
- Adequate nutrition and healthcare
- Play and rest prioritized alongside academics
- Teachers who love and believe in them
- The chance to dream about and pursue their futures
We envision a world where every child can go to school in a safe, nurturing environment and grow into whoever they’re meant to be.
Today, we support 90 students, ages 3 to 18. They love music, dancing, and games. They have favorite colors and favorite animals. Some are afraid of bugs; others don’t like the dark. They dream of becoming scientists, teachers, lawyers, and professional soccer players. Each one carries a story that is entirely their own, and we are lucky, every single day, to play even a small part in it.
Fourteen years ago, twelve kids walked into a single room and changed everything. Today, ninety are writing their own stories. We’d love for you to be part of what comes next. Send us an email to get involved: toatumaini@gmail.com