Kigoma, Tanzania: Maendeleo Youth Centre
The Maendeleo Youth Centre of Kigoma (MYCK), an institute of Fracarita Tanzania/Brothers of Charity in Kigoma, Tanzania, promotes educational activities, solidarity of the youth with people in need, harmony among the Youth, support for sports and cultural activities. It also initiates self-reliance and the development of the income generating activities by the youth.
The MYCK extends its support to more than 300 youngsters within Kigoma – Ujiji Municipality in Tanzania.
Although 2021 was a difficult year due to the Corona pandemic, the MYCK was able to carry out following activities:
- Empowerment of the Wasichana:
Wasichana is a group of girls (most of them are under twenty) who stopped their studies because of their parents’ financial constraints, sexual abuse, early marriage, abandonment after child-delivery by irresponsible men who left them without support. Maendeleo is supporting and empowering these girls by training them in entrepreneurship like cooking, tailoring, making liquid soap, making peanut-bag, learning how to decorate etc.
- Support to the youth in need:
The MYCK also paid school fees and school material for youngsters from poor families and especially for orphans. 134 students in primary, secondary and universities received full support (school fees, school uniform, school books,…) this year.
Note that despite the corona pandemic, there was no lockdown in Tanzania: all sectors were on their duty. Schools and universities also functioned at their normal bases.
- Support the outreach programme of the Upendo movement:
The Upendo Movement (in English ‘Charity Movement’) is a group of youth whose purpose is to do charity within Kigoma-Ujiji Municipality. They visit sick people in hospitals, they visit prisonners and poor family, they do general cleaning and provide material things to people in needs according their financial capacity.
In 2021, only 2 outreach programmes were organised i.e.:
Visit to the orphanage centre, MWOCACHI, in February 2021. The centre has the capacity of 257 Orphans.
Visit to the Silabu eldery centre. 25 elders are living and receiving care there.
- Support to the Scout movement:
The MYCK helps this group of young boys and girls to discover themselves who they are and how to make bright their future.
During this year 2021, the MYCK helped the scout movement to carry out many activities such as cleaning some places in Kigoma town for the sake of hygiene, participation in a conference on the theme “Good Citizen for the benefit of his country”, visiting orphans, homeless and poor people, promoting sport and culture of Tanzania through dances and songs, etc.
- Campaign against Covid-19:
The MYCK has sensitised the youth to take actions against the spread of the Covid-19 by washing hands with water and soap, wearing masks and keeping social distance.
