What we do
One child at a time
The House of Blue Hope's main program is to provide housing to boys and girls in need. We support up to 29 children between 3 houses, currently 2 for boys and 1 for girls. They live in our homes with the support of several staff members and volunteers. Our children receive the essentials to thrive such as shelter, food, water, clothes, medical care and school fees for reputable schools within Dar es Salaam.
We have also set up educational programs in addition to school learning such as hygiene, computer classes, sports and recreation, and additional English classes.
Often STDs/HIV has affected the children we take in, either directly or indirectly. We carry out testing to ensure they get the medical care they need, and counseling and support where appropriate.
Our goal is to provide all the necessities for these children to obtain the future they desire.
Outreach Program
House of Blue Hope’s Outreach program supports children that have family, but are still in need of aid to be successful in school. We provide the necessary supplies for schooling, including books, pens, pencils, workbooks, uniforms and solar powered lamps. We also provide support from our staff and volunteers and in some instances, will pay for the children’s school fees.
Also, in rare instances, House of Blue Hope social workers will help to find new living situations for children who are found to be in unsafe home environments. The children in the charity’s outreach program also participate in a community service program where they volunteer in their local community at least once a month. We do this to make an impact on the community and create a brighter future for as many people as we can beyond the immediate support we give to the vulnerable kids in our care.
The trust also runs workshops and training for mothers and women in the Mabibo community, teaching resource management, craft skills, small business management, and more to help combat poverty within the community for women who have not been given the opportunity to pursue training or gain financial stability or independence.
Boys House
From its outset, The House of Blue Hope charitable trust has provided a home to vulnerable boys based in the Mabibo district of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Read more about our beginnings here.
For ten years the house was home to ten young boys who have been supported through their schooling, with many achieving degrees, diplomas, and pursuing apprenticeships.
A recent expansion means the House of Blue Hope charitable trust now supports two homes for boys: one home for the youngest boys, from which they will graduate to the older boys home. For more information regarding the boys in our care, visit our Meet the Kids page.
Girls House
After 10 years of housing and supporting in-need boys in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the House of Blue Hope charitable trust opened its doors to girls in 2017. The girls' home has been possible with help from donors and is a response to the growing need to protect and educate vulnerable young girls who face a myriad of barriers to a safe and independent life. The House of Blue Hope, along with the international community, is focused on empowering young girls due to the unique challenges many of them face. UNFPA State of World Population 2016 Report reported that girls are less likely than boys to complete schooling and more likely to face forced marriage, child labor, female genital mutilation and other undermining practices. The House of Blue Hope's work in helping vulnerable girls escape more than just the poverty trap, but frequently gender-based violence, and child marriage, is vital for empowering young girls who would otherwise have little hope of finishing their education. The girls' home aims to protect the rights of these girls to pursue their ambitions, instead of being married off to older men once they reach puberty, or disproportionately carry the burden of unskilled, unpaid domestic work, or bearing children when they themselves are barely out of adolescence. We hope to be able to support more girls in the future, by opening another home for vulnerable girls.
Tanzania Trip
Visit House of Blue Hope and Experience Tanzania
Day 1: Depart for Tanzania
Day 2: Arrive in Dar es Salaam
Day 3: House of Blue Hope Day event
Day 4: At HBH with the boys in the morning/afternoon
Days 5, 6: 2-day/1-night safari at Mikumi Lodge
Day 7: Take ferry to Zanzibar, tour and stay overnight in Stone Town
Day 8: Spice tour and beaches; overnight on the beach
Day 9: Return to Dar es Salaam and depart for US
Summit Mount Kilimanjaro
This is an additional week added on for those interested in the climb prior to our standard trip to House of Blue Hope listed above, occurring bi-annually.
Day 1: Depart for Tanzania (assuming a next day arrival)
Day 2: Arrive in either Dar es Salaam or Kilimanjaro airport and stay overnight in Moshi
Day 3: Begin climb
Day 4: End climb and stay overnight in Moshi or Arusha
House of Blue Hope takes an annual group journey to Tanzania — to see our work, to meet our kids, and to experience the beauty and culture of an amazing people and country. This is an adventure of a lifetime! Bi-annually, the trip also includes an additional experience to climb to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. A sample itinerary has been outlined below.