Maisha Matters
Life Matters

We believe children have a right to be raised in a family.

Kulea Villages opened a Maisha Matters center in 2021 to support at-risk babies, keeping them with family rather than being sent to an orphanage.

Our project in Dar es Salaam is one of 4 Maisha Matters centers in Tanzania, a model that takes families with an at-risk baby through a year-long journey to help them move themselves out of poverty.

It all starts
with MILK

Fifty percent of babies enrolled came to us because mom died in childbirth. When a mother dies, extended families raise the baby except for those living in extreme poverty. The loss of a lactating mother coupled with a lack of knowledge of nutrition and the very high price of baby formula leads to malnourishment and in some cases, death.

We intervene at the moment a family must decide to either keep the baby or surrender it to an orphanage.

We help families stay together.

HERE'S HOW

NUTRITION

We believe breast-milk is always best. However, if not available or not enough for twins or triplets, we can meet the critical nutritional need of a baby with life-saving formula milk. Severely malnourished babies usually improve in a matter of weeks with this support.

CRISIS SUPPORT

We provide families with emergency items which immediately increase the quality of their life. Examples are: mosquito nets, beds, mattresses, rent assistance, clothes, food support and cooking equipment.

BUSINESS TRAINING
& SETUPS

Kulea Villages empowers women by boosting their confidence, helping them believe in their ability to care for their babies while running successful businesses. We jointly determine the products needed in the community and, with the support of local leaders (mjumbes), provide encouragement for each woman’s small business. Our training, along with hands-on setup and ongoing guidance, helps women break the cycle of poverty and positively impact their neighborhoods.