Funding cut hits orphanages

Dodoma. A sharp decline in the flow of foreign funding in Tanzania has been cited as a major reason impeding delivery of services in various orphanages.

In order to return to normalcy, key players taking care of the children have pleaded with the government to start rolling out special subsidies in order to enable them to serve the society.

Sister Aurea Kyara, the head of Dodoma-based House of Hope, told The Citizen during an interview that they are currently grappling with challenges of taking care of orphans following donors decision to cut most of their support.

She cited an example of her centre, saying that it is no longer financially stable to offer all services to the hapless children.

“In the past we used to receive hefty support from different donors, which helped us provide all needs of the children. Nonetheless, things have changed and we can’t even procure food, soaps, sugar, as well as paying for electricity and water bills,” she said.

With at least 57 orphans, she said the orphanage fails to cover for the children health services.

“We usually bring in children aged from three years from social welfare departments and some of them come here with diseases, which require plenty of money to treat them,” she expressed.

Sister Kyara underscored the need for the government to assist the orphanages, saying the centres play an important role in assisting the government to provide social services to the communities.

“Our focus is to see these children realise their dreams and live like others in the communities. They don’t have parents and the support from other people is little,” she added.

She urged companies and other individual well-wishers to start supporting the needy.