Hands Of Mercy

Introduction

Hands of Mercy Children’s Home was founded in the year 2001 by Joel and Gloria Kirutu, after they saw the drastic effects the HIV/AIDS virus was having on Africa and its children.

Hands of Mercy currently supports 32 children who live at the children’s home. The children range in age from 3 to 15 years. Most of these children have lost their parent to HIV/AIDS. A child is classified as an orphan in Tanzania if they have lost one or more parents. When a child is referred to Hands of Mercy, Joel investigates the child’s living situation to find out whether there is other family who could provide sufficient care for the child. If this is not available, the child is accepted into the orphanage.

The HIV / AIDS Situation

Statistics say there are currently more than 2 million Tanzanians infected with the HIV/AIDS virus, however the actual numbers are thought to be far greater. The number of children orphaned by AIDS increases daily. Stressful social conditions and a lack of children’s rights have also led to many children fleeing their homes or being abandoned by their parents. Many of these children are forced to live on the streets, where they beg for food to survive. These children are not only at risk of starvation or malnutrition, but also risk physical and sexual abuse and contracting life-threatening diseases. Hands of Mercy hope to provide some of these children with a chance of a future. At Hands of Mercy, children are provided with basic human rights including food, water, shelter, clothing, education and a family.

Our vision is to see Tanzanian children given the love, support, guidance and stability they need and deserve to grow into intelligent, responsible and socially aware citizens. Hands of Mercy is dedicated to improving the quality of life of the many children in Tanzania who’s parents have died. We believe all children should be given the right to a safe, fun and loving childhood.

Who do we need?

Hands of Mercy Children’s Home do not require volunteers with any special skills or qualifications, except for a love of children and a desire to help. We ask that volunteers come ready for a challenge and willing to put in some hard work. Because the presence of volunteers will be new for the orphanage, we need volunteers that are able to take some initiative and be creative and patient.

The Environment:

Hands for Mercy is located in East Africa in Mwanza, Tanzania. With a population of more than 400,000, Mwanza is the second largest town in Tanzania. A bustling town surrounding by a scenic countryside, Mwanza is located on the shore of Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in the world. Large granite outcrops perched precariously on top of each other dominate the landscape in the Mwanza region.

Food and accomodation

We ask for a donation of US$300 per month from each volunteer. This covers the rent for your accommodation, electricity and water and is a donation to the orphanage. You are welcome to join the children for meals and eat at the orphanage, otherwise your food is not covered in your donation.

We also ask volunteers to try to organise a fund raiser before you come, to support both our orphanage, and your expenses. This is a good way for you to prepare for your trip and to get others involved in your adventure. It will also mean that the children of Hands of Mercy can be supplied with food, water, clothes, school supplies and hygiene products.

In return, we will give you an experience you will never forget. You will never forget the faces of the children you have helped, and you will leave feeling you have made a difference to people’s lives. You will also have the opportunity to learn to cook local foods and speak Swahili. In addition, you will learn more about yourself than you could imagine, and you will leave Tanzania a different person than when you arrived.

Project Directors

The project director is Joel, the founder. Joel previously worked as a guide, taking tourists up Mt Kilimanjaro and Mt Meru. He and his wife then decided they needed to do something for the children of their country as they noticed that there were more and more children being left parentless, mostly due to the HIV/AIDS virus. They also realised that this problem was only going to get worse. So they decided to establish “Hands of Mercy Children’s Home”.

The volunteer co-ordinator is currently Rose Davies, from Canada. Rose has been working with Watoto Wa Africa and other organizations to develop their projects in Mwanza for the last few months and intends to return to Tanzania in Jan 2010 for a longer period.

Your Job:

Volunteers at Hands of Mercy can help in a number of different ways depending on their skills and interests.

Teaching -
The main role of the volunteers will be to teach supplementary lesson for the children at the orphanage. The ability to speak English gives children in Tanzania a head start in life, increasing their chances of continuing education and eventually finding work. Children are taught English at school, but these lessons are of a very poor standard, therefore they need the help of volunteers to extend the children’s English and mathematics skills.

Volunteers are asked to assist with lessons Monday to Friday in the morning and afternoon. These classes are generally only 1 to 2 hours long.

Volunteers can also teach other important skills, such as fine and gross motor skills, sports, computers, music and singing. The children are very eager to learn.

Organisation / Coordination –
The staff at the orphanage greatly need the assistance of volunteers to help organise and coordinate their programs. Help is needed to create budgets and accounting systems, as well as long term development plans. Volunteers can also help seek permanent funding from local and international businesses or individuals.

Farming:
Hands of Mercy currently farm pigs, cows and chickens, which they use both to feed the children, and to sell to make a small income. They also grow cassava and sweet potato. They currently have 2 acres of land which they wish to use for more farming so that the orphanage can become more self-sustainable. Volunteers interested in, or with experience in agriculture, would be welcome to assist to develop this project.

Education

Education is a large problem in Tanzania. The children attend the local government schools from the age of 7. However, education in Tanzania leaves a lot to be desired. Classes often have up to 150-200 pupils, and school only lasts half a day. It is therefore difficult for children to learn and succeed in school.

For our children to succeed in life, a good education is imperative. Therefore, one of our main focuses is on supplementary education.

The main role of the volunteers will be to assist with supplementary lessons in English and Maths. With the help of volunteers, we hope our children will be in the group who pass. However, then we are faced with another problem. At the end of primary school (Standard 7) the children sit a national exam. Only those who pass can go on to high school. Only a very small percentage pass. Of those who do pass, only the children with the best marks are offered a place at a government school. The rest of the children are left with two options: they can leave school and attempt to find work, or pay high school fees to go to a private high-school.

Fees for one year at a government school are approximately 60,000 Tsh (the equivalent of US$60). Not very much to most people in developed countries. However when the average monthly wage is around US$50, its more than most people can afford.

Hands of Mercy hopes to seek education sponsorship for the children living at the orphanage and in the community, so that they can continue their education in secondary school. This small gift will create hope and a future for these children.

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