Matunda Cultural Tourism Project is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that runs under the management of Ndoombo—Mfulony villagers through their representatives. The project was founded by Unambwe Zephania Kaaya, a professional wildlife guide/tutor and community leader in 2000, who was born and raised in the area. Due to the difficulties and problems he saw facing the local people, Mr. Kaaya proposed the establishment of the Matunda Cultural Tourism Project for the benefit of the entire community. Ndoombo—Mfulony are two different villages situated in the northeastern part of the Arumeru district on the slopes of Mount Meru. These villages are located about 25 km from the big city of Arusha, Tanzania. The current population among these villages is estimated to be about 14,000 people and 2,500 livestock.
These villages have orphans, homeless, abandoned, and mentally disabled children that need an education but cannot afford the school fees. Some of the children are HIV orphans and others have parents that simply cannot afford to pay for their childrens' education. Mentally disabled children are basically abandoned when it comes to education in Tanzania, mainly because their caretakers cannot sponsor them. However, these children are able to do the same subjects as the other kids but just need specially trained teachers to assist them. As a result, Matunda Cultural Tourism and Safaris Organization took the first step by establishing a school for all of the above mentioned children.
Currently, there is a one room classroom that hosts fifty children ranging from the ages of 3-7 years old. There is an additional building being built adjacent to the school that will serve as another classroom and also an orphanage for those kids in need. There is one permanent teacher on staff, which makes it hard to teach such a wide range of ages and skill levels. After all, the 3 year olds can barely form their letters and the 7 year olds are able to read and write. Having all of these children in the same classroom tends to result in either frustration or boredom for the children, and is clearly not an ideal academic environment. The goal of the Matunda Cultural Tourism Project is to keep expanding the school's facilities, through the help of its volunteers.
This fundraising effort will help with the building of several more classrooms and the construction of a live-in orphanage. The orphanage will be a welcome addition, as it will provide the students with a stable home. In the meantime, Kaaya has arranged for the orphaned children to be taken in by a number of families in his village (as well as housing many of them himself). Some of these caretakers are aging, however, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to meet the needs of young, energetic children. Furthermore, many of them live far away from the school, which inhibits many of the students from going to class when the weather is bad - particularly during the rainy season. Having a stable home on the same grounds as the school will certainly be a big help.
Thank you to everyone who has supported the project thus far, and please continue to spread the word. The more people that know about this project, the closer we will come to reaching our goal of providing this village with accessible schooling, and more importantly, giving these children a brighter future.
If you have any questions about the project, feel free to email me: andyrosenhek@hotmail.com