Sakapala-Ukondwa: US-based Tanzanian making a difference in the Mtoni Kijichi community

These programmes have empowered women of all ages to rise out of poverty and establish sustainable livelihoods using the skills they have gained.

This once-overlooked community found new hope when a Tanzanian expatriate living in America, Zawadi Sakapala-Ukondwa, returned to give back.

She did not come alone. Her initiative inspired many African Americans with a longing to reconnect with their ancestral roots to visit her centre.

In collaboration with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the centre provides a unique opportunity for their students to volunteer, visit Tanzania, and explore the country's rich culture and heritage.

This partnership not only allows African American students to connect with the community but also exposes young Tanzanians to the prospect of studying at these prestigious institutions.

Through this initiative, Tanzanian youth learn about the application process, available scholarships, and financial aid opportunities that can help them pursue higher education in the United States.

Zawadi moved to the US three decades ago as soon as she finished high school.

After having children in the US, she felt it was essential to expose them to Tanzanian culture from an early age.

That is when she and her husband began making regular trips back to Tanzania whenever possible.

“As they got older, we realised that while in Tanzania there was no place for them to go to do some community activities,” she said.

Although they made efforts to visit orphanages in Chamazi and engaged in volunteer work, they found that there were no nearby places where they could fully immerse themselves in meaningful community service.

Zawadi noticed that many Tanzanians in the Diaspora, upon visiting Tanzania, often prioritise family visits and trips to the village to see grandparents.

However, it was rare for them, along with their children, to engage in community work or meaningful outreach.

She would normally take her children to volunteer and work with children in Tanzanian public schools; this, on the whole, motivated her to build a centre.

Zawadi, a woman born in Mtoni-Kijichi, recognised the urgent need to establish a centre in her hometown.

She chose Mtoni-Kijichi as the location for this vital initiative, driven by a desire to give back to her community.

In addition to the various programmes offered, Zawadi included a daycare service at the centre to support underserved children in the area.

The centre also provides tutoring for teens preparing to join secondary schools.

The centre also offers basic computer skills for the youth and introduces these young people to vital knowledge early on.

They also have STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education.

Sakapalla community centre is accessible even to the lowest income earners; the daycare costs Sh20,000, which is less than $10 per month.

That was intentional, understanding that the service and opportunities like the ones she provides are more needed by those in lower-income households.

“You should understand that care is the foundation of the child’s life; it’s the most important stage in one’s life, and I have to make sure the underserved community has that opportunity, “she says.

She is soon to publish two children’s books in both Swahili and English, titled Twende kwa Bibi and Twende Tukajitolee.

Zawadi strongly believes in giving back to the community and sees volunteering as the best way to get up close and close with the people in the community.

Zawadi has consistently encouraged her friends and family to engage with the community during their visits to Tanzania, urging them to spend time at a local centre.

She stresses that it doesn't have to be the Sakapalla Centre that she runs, but any community centre or orphanage in need of support.

Even as she celebrated her 50th birthday in 2023, her message remained the same: giving back to the community is a meaningful way to make a difference, no matter the occasion.

On top of all the vacation and the time she enjoyed with friends in Zanzibar, she urged them to make sure they give back to any community organisation in Tanzania in celebration of her birthday.

On a personal level, Zawadi loves to promote Tanzania and its culture; she would talk to her friends about the beauty of her country and tell them to visit; she even convinced her hairstylist in the US to visit Tanzania, and she enjoyed her time in the country.

She is an advocate for ‘citizen diplomats,’ where an individual would take the initiative to promote Tanzania and build understanding between Tanzania and other countries, not as a government official but on an individual level.

This helps connect people and culture and helps promote Tanzania’s tourism and helps visitors interact with Tanzanians better by learning about Tanzanian culture and way of life.

She has constantly encouraged Tanzanians to apply for a diversity visa to the US, the lottery visa programmes that are available in the country that grant Tanzanians permanent residence in the US. She uses her centre to educate locals on how to apply.

Her giving-back efforts were appreciated by the Tanzanian community in the US, earning her a DICOTA award in the ‘giving back’ category.

Zawadi is very intentional in connecting her American-born children with her motherland; she admits there is a disconnect, culturally and in the way of life and the only bridge is the bond that can be created through interaction and understanding each other’s culture and how we can build from that.

She has tried to raise her children as much as possible with Tanzanian values; they grew up eating Tanzanian cuisine and were raised to duly respect their parents, which is customary to the African and Tanzanian way of life.

She has worked hard to see that whatever privilege life has given her, she extends that to her countrymen while paying homage to the Mtoni-KIjichi community that raised her.

She believes that giving back doesn't require one to be a billionaire.

A strong advocate for education, she emphasises the importance of building a solid foundation from a child's earliest years, which is why a daycare was incorporated into the centre.

It was a daunting task to start the centre, as a person living in the US, monitoring the progress from the ground up, but she couldn’t give up on her purpose.

Her conviction stems from her late father, who always encouraged her to find a way to overcome challenges.

Despite scepticism from others, her father sent her to the US 30 years ago as a young girl because she believed in her.

Reflecting on all she has achieved, she is deeply grateful for the investment he made in her.