Arusha and northern Tanzania has a rich cultural heritage with many luxury hotels surrounding the most popular state parks in the region, thousands of tourists each year come to Arusha to admire the beautiful landscapes and national parks - especially Mount Kilimanjaro and Ngorongoro Crater.
Arusha is the largest city in northern Tanzania with much of the population living in crowded squatter communities. Arusha is primarily occupied by the Maasai people; much of the population that lives here sell jewelry and fabric to tourists in the crowded city markets, and retreat to one-room homes and desperate poverty each night. Families in Arusha and surrounding communities struggle to live on as little as 20 cents per day.
Compassion has provided these caregivers with simple home water filters, helping ensure that the water they and their children consume is safe.
Compassion-assisted children have opportunities to develop their creativity and talents, and grow physically strong as well.
This little girl has been blessed with a visit from her sponsor's family. Sharing letters has built a relationship of trust and care.
In northern Tanzania's plains, water is scarce. This woman has loaded up her donkeys with water jugs to make a long journey to the nearest water source.
Compassion's ministry in northern Tanzania also serves rural areas where the colorful and proud Maasai people live.
The children Compassion serves here live primarily in urban slums, where they typically live in one or two small, rented rooms with their large families.
There are no basic services like clean water, drainage systems or open spaces for children to play.
Most parents are unemployed or depend on temporary, menial day-labor jobs. Some engage in petty businesses selling vegetables and fruits.
In general, families make less than U.S.$2 per day, which is not enough to meet their basic needs.
Few families can even afford to feed their children three meals a day.
Children in the slums are also exposed to health hazards, especially malaria and waterborne diseases like dysentery and intestinal parasites.
Children lack adequate adult protection and supervision, since their parents spend most of the day away from home, leaving little ones to fend for themselves.
The northern region of Tanzania is dominated by the city of Arusha, which is primarily occupied by the Maasai people.
This is a popular tourist destination. Mount Kilimanjaro and national parks such as the Ngorongoro Crater attract many visitors each year.
The primary livelihood in this region is agriculture (either independent subsistence farming or day labor on larger farms).
Arusha is an important coffee-producing area.
Also in this region, mining, cattle raising and tourism are common livelihood sources.
The city of Arusha, the regional capital, has a population of more than 1.5 million people. The poor of this city live in crowded slums and earn a meager wage through day labor jobs or petty vending to tourists.
The unemployment rate in Arusha is extremely high, and poor families find it difficult to meet even their most basic needs.
Most Compassion-assisted children in this region live illegally in abandoned buildings with no electricity or running water.
Their homes are just a few feet away from raw sewage, and the crowded living conditions aid the spread of disease.
The squatter houses are weakly built and many of them collapse during heavy rain or storms.
Put water in a pot over medium heat.
When the water comes to a boil, add the corn meal and continue to stir until it is of a thick, porridge consistency.
Keep stirring for about 10 minutes to heat through.
Remove from heat and serve. Serves 5.
Ugali is traditionally served with a variety of soups made from beef or fish. It is also served with green vegetables or sardines.
The HIV and AIDS pandemic is still claiming the lives of parents and guardians in this region, leaving more and more children orphaned and with no financial support.
This situation has also led to an increase in street children, and an estimated 7,000 children live on the streets of Arusha.
Arusha is also dealing with increasing crime rates. The city is growing at a rate faster than the police can keep up with.
Drug abuse and alcoholism from larger neighboring cities have spilled over into Arusha.
Food prices have doubled in recent years.
With the city's rapidly expanding population, access to potable water is an increasing challenge.
Lacking adequate sanitation, electricity or running water, slum housing is squalid.
This is a rampant, growing problem in the city.
Schools are overcrowded and undersupplied.
This deadly infection continues to take a toll on poor families, leaving many children orphaned and homeless.
that caregivers in the urban slums can find good, steady jobs so that they can adequately provide for their children.
for children's safety in the hazardous environment of the city slums, especially those who are left unattended by their caregivers during the day.
that children will stay in school and excel in their educational pursuits.
Arusha has a number of government and private primary schools. The government requires all children to attend primary school.
However, the region's secondary schools lack enough room for all of its children, and the area severely lacks qualified teachers.
In some of the poorest areas of northern Tanzania, up to 60 percent of children will never attend school.
Only 30 percent of those who begin school will graduate, and this lack of education severely limits job opportunities – as evidenced by a 90 percent unemployment rate in the slums of Arusha.
Northern Tanzania child development centers are a place of safety and security for registered children.
They also feel the love of a sponsor who cares for their daily physical needs.
the opportunity for children to learn the Word of God and pray together. Some did not know how to pray before, but they have learned how at the center and now they regularly pray at home, especially before meals and at bedtime.
More churches in northern Tanzania are working with Compassion to nurture and protect children.