Beyond the Centre of Hope

Dear Friend

Our work in Tanzania doesn’t stop at the doors of the Centre of Hope.

Behind every child we support is a much bigger picture - their education, family circumstances, emotional wellbeing and the challenges they face outside the Centre.

During the second half of August, our new social worker, Redemta, began visiting schools, counselling children and identifying families whose circumstances are putting children at risk.

August at a glance

46 children and young people in our care

34 children living at the Centre of Hope
10 children attending secondary boarding school
1 child attending vocational college
1 child living independently with ongoing support

5 schools visited
32 children followed up at school
2 counselling sessions delivered
2 new vulnerable families identified
11 children across those newly identified families

Sometimes, support begins with listening

One of Redemta’s first priorities was simply getting to know the children.

A group counselling session at the Centre gave children the opportunity to talk openly about some of the things they were experiencing and to begin building trust with her.

For children who have experienced instability, loss or difficult circumstances, having a safe adult who will simply listen can be incredibly important.

Building relationships and creating a safe space for children to talk, learn and be heard.

For one child, more individual support was needed.

She received a one-to-one counselling session, giving her a private space to talk through what she was experiencing and receive more focused support.

It is a small example of something we believe is incredibly important: caring for the child holistically, not simply meeting their physical needs.

Going into the schools

Redemta also began visiting the schools attended by children from the Centre of Hope.

Across five schools, she followed up with 32 children, speaking with teachers and checking on their attendance, behaviour, academic progress and general wellbeing.

These visits help us see things we may not always see at the Centre.

A child may appear settled at home but be struggling academically. Another may be experiencing difficulties with attendance, friendships or behaviour.

By building relationships with teachers, our team can identify concerns earlier and work alongside the school and the child before those challenges become bigger problems.

When education becomes a question of survival

Our work also reaches beyond the children currently living at the Centre.

During this period, Redemta identified two particularly vulnerable families with 11 children between them.

One of those families included a young boy.

He was living in extremely difficult circumstances, including an inadequate sleeping environment, and had also been unwell.

His situation highlighted something we see repeatedly in our work.

For children growing up in extreme poverty, education cannot always be separated from everything happening at home.

It is difficult to concentrate at school when you are hungry.

It is difficult to attend consistently when your family is struggling to meet basic needs.

And it is difficult to think about your future when your immediate circumstances are about simply getting through today.

Another family identified during the month was also facing significant challenges affecting several children in the household.

These cases are now part of our social work follow-up so that we can better understand what is happening within the families and what support may be appropriate.

Behind every number is a child

Reports like these naturally contain numbers.

But the numbers only tell part of the story.

Behind each one is a child with their own personality, circumstances, struggles and potential.

This is why our work cannot stop at providing a bed, a meal or paying a school fee.

We have to keep going.

Into the schools.

Into the family circumstances.

Into the conversations children sometimes find difficult to have.

And into the communities where other vulnerable children may still be waiting for someone to notice what is happening.

The Centre of Hope gives children a place of safety.

Our growing social work programme is helping us understand what happens beyond its doors.