Significant UK Donation Enables Urgent Community Project

Sept. 8, 2010 - PRLog -- Art in Tanzania has recently started work on its biggest project; the Bagamoyo Youth Center. This is the result of a significant donation from the UK and is the one of the first steps in a long-term project which will go on to provide essential educational and extracurricular activities for nearly 1000 children from various local areas.

Throughout Art in Tanzania’s eight years of experience with local communities, the NGO has recognized the lack of education and learning facilities in the areas of Kiharaka and Mpinga. The Bagamoyo Project is at the heart of the local community, roughly 70km north of Dar es Salaam, and will therefore directly affect local villagers and students coming into the area. This will have a positive effect on a village where the majority of children do not attend a school. It will also create job opportunities for local people as staff will be needed to run and maintain the several buildings within the Bagamoyo Youth Center compound.

Bagamoyo Youth Centre will comprise of schools of various levels, an orphanage, an arts complex and other amenities such as a small medical centre and teacher/volunteer lodging. With construction starting this week for the BYC orphanage, the Bagamoyo Youth Center is a huge project high up on Art In Tanzania’s priorities. Art in Tanzania already provided over US$100,000 to fund the planning and initial stages of the project. Despite this, another US$80,000 is still needed to build a main road to the site, install a sewer system and provide water and electricity to the site.

There is heavy emphasis on finding new sources of income to fund the development of the project, which will both secure the progress of the project as well as create and strengthen relationships between Art In Tanzania and companies and individuals willing to provide support to the project.

About Art in Tanzania

Art in Tanzania is a Non Government Organisation (NGO), established in 2001, operating in Dar es Salaam, Moshi, Arusha, Zanzibar and Masai Land. The community work focuses on educational and cultural projects including education assistance for schools, Orphan care, Women’s Groups, HIV awareness, Adult English Classes, Music production and Arts & Handicrafts. Art in Tanzania is raising funds through volunteer fees, safaris, music and a magazine to support wide range of community projects.

To request more information on the Bagamoya Youth Centre please email Sandra Hämmerli at sandra@artintanzania.org .