Project:  Purchased a mid-sized plot of land (20m x 30m) in Mabibo in the immediate vicinity of Loyola High School; the construction of an orphanage / educational complex to accommodate approximately thirty-six local orphaned and homeless school-aged children; an eventual endowment fund to sustain the facility and scholarships for its residents indefinitely.

Community Need:  Dar es Salaam, like many other East African cities, has a tremendously high rate of homeless children, estimated around 10.5% of the youth population (approximately 1.5 million children).  Many were orphaned when their parents dies of AIDS or other prevalent diseases; many are simply victims of poverty, sent to the city streets to beg for money on behalf of their families.  These children can not go to school.

Partnership:  The facility will be managed by Youth Global Action Aid (YOGAA), a registered Tanzanian non-governmental organization, which also runs another center for street children in a different section of Dar es Salaam.  YOGAA was founded and is lead by Loyola alumni who graduated from the school in 2004.  Although its own organization, the group is advised by members of the Jesuit community here in Dar and supported financially by Jesuits in Germany.  “House of Blue Hope” has been registered as a non-profit organization in the U.S.A., and will assist in the project both by fundraising and coordinating volunteer trips to the complex in the future.

Vision:  “House of Blue Hope” has been established in stages.  The first money raised went towards buying the plot of land, drafting the architectural and structural designs, and paying governmental taxes and building permit fees.  The construction is taking place in phases.  The ground level of the facility has been constructed, and now the second level is being built.  As YOGAA is already a registered NGO, certified by the Ministries of Social Services and Health,  the first group of children can move in as soon as the first floor is constructed.  We will furnish the complex, and finally, we will raise an endowment fund to ensure the continuity of the facility and its programs.    

Cost:  We have already raised approximately $85,000 of the money needed to complete the first several phases of the project and have the facility up and running initially.  We have set a goal of raising the remaining funds by early 2008. 

Community Benefits:  “House of Blue Hope” would pull dozens of kids off the streets and put them into a safe living and learning environment.  The construction of a brand-new Jesuit primary school is underway in the immediate vicinity.  With such access to this primary school and Loyola High School, the residents of the “House of Blue Hope” will be provided with top-notch educational opportunities in a country in which only about 12% of the population receives a secondary education.  Furthermore, the facility could become a large part of Loyola’s community service program, as well as a catalyst to keep alumni involved and connected in the school’s mission after graduation.

Permanency:  The partnership between “House of Blue Hope” and “YOGAA” will be the key to the future success of the facility and its programs.  An eventual endowment fund is the long term goal within two or three years, but in the meantime, fundraising from “House of Blue Hope” in the U.S. and YOGAA’s access to in-country grants and governmental aid will certainly suffice.  Both groups are committed to each other and intertwined, with several individuals serving on the boards of both organizations simultaneously.  With the level of enthusiasm, compassion, commitment, and organization of both groups, the partnership will lead to even greater things in the years to come.