KILIMANJARO KIDS COMMUNITY
Giving orphaned children home at the
base of Mt. Kilimanjaro
IMPACT
Education, stability, community, and a bright future for 28 CHILDREN
PROJECT HISTORY
The Kilimanjaro Kids Community (KKC) is Human Outreach Project’s pride and joy, our home-away-from-home at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Here, the 26 beautiful children that call this community home continue to thrive.
It’s truly amazing how much the KKC has grown since 2009, when Dean first purchased an empty 4-acre plot of land and set out to create a home and a community for a small group of orphaned Tanzanian children. The orphanage has seen considerable growth and expansion through the years. You’ll now find a dining area, a learning center, a kitchen, a children’s dorm house, a chicken coup and cow pasture, a fish pond, multiple gardens, on-site staff quarters, and an on-site guest house.
We’re also proud to note the KKC is very self-sufficient, with solar power, rainwater collection, gardens, and livestock that not only provide a self-sufficient way of life at the KKC, but also educates our children on valuable Tanzanian life skills. In our garden, we have several fruit trees; mangoes, oranges, lemons, avocados, pawpaw and bananas which help the kids and staff receive some nutrition.
In 2020, the children carried on their studies at Safina Private School, and continue to thrive under KKC’s amazing staff supervision, and with the help of hired tutors. In fact, four of the children passed the national exam to move ahead into secondary school – major congrats to Kennedy, Abel, Augostino and Steven! They held a small graduation ceremony with classmates to celebrate.
Looking Forward
As the children grow and we bring more orphans into the family, we plan to build additional dorms to allow the older children more privacy. The children have enjoyed being roomed together by gender, but it’s important the teenagers have the chance to feel independent before heading off into the world as adults.
How Can I Help?
We often get asked about specific sponsorship ideas to direct your donation towards a project or effort that moves you.
- Sponsors can make a set annual donation, all of which goes directly toward paying for clothing, food, books, building maintenance, KKC staff salaries, and basic necessities for children at the KKC.
- $1500 per child, per year covers all necessities at the orphanage.
- $1000 supports one child’s primary school education
- $1200 supports one child’s secondary school education
- $3000 would be a generous contribution towards building construction of the new dormitory.
- $1000 per child covers a new bike and shipping from the USA! The kids are growing so fast, and love riding around the property.
CHILDREN OF THE KKC
Africa has a significant amount of orphaned and homeless children. Medical care is marginal and often parents are lost to illness and injury. In some cases, the parents are still alive but live in such poverty that they cannot afford to care for their children. There are 15 beautiful, smiling children at the KKC ranging from seven to twelve years old. This family provides education, family life, and opportunities to children who would otherwise go without it. Many of them came to us as brothers and sisters and now they are joined as one big happy family.
Abel
Amana
Angel
Augostino
Jessica
Arnold
Kelvin
Kennedy
Meshak
Naomi
Neema
Rhoda
Samuel
Steven
Nehemia
In June of 2021, the KKC welcomed 11 new children into the family! They’ve all come from varying difficult situations, and we’re thrilled to provide a stable home life. Join us in welcoming the newest family members!
Joshua
Roseline
Ally
Athumani
Ibrahimu
Angel
Lorine
Amiri
Irene
Muhina
Brighton
KKC STAFF
Without a dedicated and supportive staff, running the KKC would be impossible. Many staff members live on-site, while some come in a few days a week to take care of their duties. Human Outreach Project hopes to continue to provide a stable and supportive work environment, including being able to care for life outside of work for the staff with opportunities such as continued education and health coverage. More than anything, the staff is the role models and leaders for the children. Standing in a parental role, they help guide the children into adulthood. They have built amazing relationships with the children and are loved deeply by them.
Anna
Peter
Jessica
BigAbel
Mary
Jerome
Joanister
Claudia
Ray
Judith
Goddy
KKC PROPERTY
After 11 years of building, development at the KKC is still in process. As the kids and HOP grow, needs at the KKC become more complex. Our goal for the property is to continue to find ways to sustain itself. In 2015, we equipped most of the buildings with solar power and installed a massive rainwater storage system. Our garden hosts fruit trees and produces garden vegetables while our cows, goats, and chickens provide sources of food. In 2019, the KKC facility added an official reception to better assist and direct visitors. We also completed construction of the fish pond and purchased 2,200 Fingerlings to stock the pond. The Fingerlings take 11 months to grow to maturity and will then be ready to harvest as needed. The mature Tilapia fish will provide fresh fish to eat for the children at least twice a week. Any extra fish can be sold at the market and in the local community as a source of income to buy other needed supplies for the Kilimanjaro Kids Community.
Pavilion
The pavilion was the first building to be put in at the KKC in 2009. Since then it has served as a meeting place for the kids and community, a learning center and a storage area. When we host large groups, we often set out here to eat and hang out. Next, we built the student dorm!
Kids Dormitory
The kid’s dorm went up along with the pavilion and was finished soon after. The dorm is separated into a girls and boys side. There is a living room and a place for them to do their homework. They all take turns doing house chores and sleep comfortably in their own bed.
Kitchen and Dining Area
The kitchen and dining area is separate from the kid’s dorm but provides a place for the kids and staff to gather for meals. The dining area was added in 2016 so that cooking, eating, and cleaning could all happen in one area. The kids are involved in every aspect of meals. They help the mamas pick the food from the garden, prepare it in the kitchen, set the table and clean up afterward. Proper table manners are always enforced by the Mamas.
Staff Dorm
After years of rotating staff between their homes and the KKC, the staff quarters (built in 2016) gives the KKC staff a private room of their own to avoid commuting. One mama always sleeps in the same building as the children, but the mamas rotate the responsibility. The “off-duty” mama’s now have their own room in the staff quarters.
Guest Quarters
After hosting group after group at the KKC, it was time we created a living space for guests. Whether they are students, volunteers or visitors, we wanted to make sure the people who visited the KKC get the full immersive experience of staying the night. Nestled in the corner of the property, the furnished building boasts an astounding view of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and safely houses our guests.
Animals & Agriculture
Throughout the property, there are many gardens where we grow maize, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, papaya, banana, avocado, and many other fruits and vegetables. In the northwest corner of the property are the cow corral and chicken coop, where we have cows, goats, and chicken. We get all of our milk from the cows and most of our eggs from our hens. Peter, who works as the livestock handler, spends most of his time tending to our animals.
Welcome Center
This building is directly inside the front gate to the left and is the first building a guest will see while visiting. The two rooms inside serve as a storage area and administrative office, while the wall outside displays important information about the KKC.
Fish Pond
We completed construction of the fish pond and purchased 2,200 Fingerlings to stock the pond. The Fingerlings take 11 months to grow to maturity, then are ready to harvest as needed. The mature Tilapia provide fresh fish to eat for the children at least twice a week. Any extra fish is sold at the market as a source of income to buy other needed supplies for the KKC.
