Karibu Mark Green, US Ambassador to TZ

*This visit is great exposure for Tumaini and Global Alliance, our NGO; more importantly, my bike students are now famous :). I can't wait to show them this picture. From left to right: Boniface Kimboka, Tumaini Center's Director, Mark Green, US Ambassador, Neema, Iddy, Ally, Alex, God, Shaibu, Ibra, Leyeyo, Azizi and me

Press Release (as seen at http://tanzania.usembassy.gov)
U.S. Ambassador Visits Peace Corps Volunteer Providing Life Skills to Students at Tumaini Orphan Vocational Training Center in Arusha
November 20, 2007

U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania Mark Green visited the Tumaini Orphan Vocational Training Center in Arusha on Friday, November 16, 2007. He sat in a health class taught by a third-year Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV). Since 2006, Tumaini has partnered with the U.S. Peace Corps to host a PCV with prior experience to lead Life Skills. The training makes the center’s youth more aware of HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention coupled with the essential competencies for leading healthy, productive lives, such as communication, decision-making and relationship skills.

Founded in 2000 in Arusha, the Tumaini Vocational Training Center is one of the many programs of the Global Alliance for Africa (GAA), an NGO based in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is dedicated to providing support and care to children who have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Its mission is to provide capacity building to orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) so that the youth may enter the formal economic sector and realize their potential, actualizing their own personal, social and economic advancement.

The Tumaini Vocational Centre strives to provide orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) in Tanzania access to vocational training, life skills training, and psychosocial support. The center provides specific vocational training in: bicycle mechanics, bicycle maintenance and repair, welding, computer training, secretarial skills, and foreign language courses in English, French and Spanish.

Tumaini's niche focuses on serving as a self-sustaining bike center empowering vulnerable youth of Arusha. In addition to teaching Life Skills, the Peace Corps Volunteer coordinates with the bike shop manager, assisting with bike sales, accounting and marketing in the surrounding community. All income from selling the refurbished bicycles goes towards off-setting school fees for the children.

With financial support from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the PCV aspires to organize a series of Life Skills seminars pairing Life Skills sessions with community bike rides. The purpose is to provide education in an interactive, creative way, while simultaneously enhancing recognition of the bike center. Furthermore, the bike rides will provide Tumaini’s youth with a healthy outlet to avoid risky activities, behavior. The hope is that more youth will engage in bike riding for fun, in addition to practical use.

Further Background on Tumaini Center in Arusha

There are over 200 students, ranging in ages from 16-24, that receive instruction at Tumaini Orphan Vocational Training Center, and the number continues to increase each year. The Tumaini Center is committed to the educational development of OVC (ninety percent of the students are orphans) and youth who - due to the impact of HIV/AIDS - lack the resources to attend primary and secondary school in Tanzania. The strategic goal of Tumaini's educational programs is to provide capacity building to youth so that they can enter the formal economic sector (e.g., to work as mechanics, secretaries and/or tour guides).

In the future, Tumaini plans to expand, offering tourism, business and hotel management courses. Links are being made with local safari and climbing outfitters in order to offer mountain trekking training and job placement. If sufficient financial backing is realized, an on-site hotel may be built, offering the students hands-on learning in the hotel business.