Tanzanear is a UK charity dedicated to helping deaf people in Tanzania lead richer and more fulfilling lives. We currently do this by working with two organisations: Buguruni School for the Deaf, a primary school, and UMIVITA, a small NGO, run by young deaf adults, which provides advocacy and support services to deaf people in Dar es Salaam. We also work closely with the Tanzania Society for the Deaf, the NGO which owns Buguruni School, and we are linking to Soundseekersin Tanzania, which used to be the Commonwealth Society for the Deaf We fundraise, form networks with other charities and schools in the UK, and introduce volunteers to the school.

Our constitution is here, and this is our data protection policy.

UMIVITA

UMIVITA stands for 'Umoja wa Miradi kwa Viziwi Tanzania' - United Projects for Deaf People in Tanzania. It is an NGO founded in 1988 by young deaf people to provide advocacy and support services for young deaf people in Dar es Salaam, helping them to write letters, find jobs, get medical help and make other deaf friends. They run weekly youth clubs and arrange evening classes for deaf students. They also run a rice farm, to provide employment and training for deaf workers.

UMIVITA is based in Kariakoo, the market district of Dar.

Left to right: Rahim, Miss Tungi and Salum

Who's who

UMIVITA is staffed by ex-pupils of Buguruni School for the Deaf. The Chair is Joseph Hizza, who also has a full-time job as a translator for a Swahili newspaper. The office is staffed by Rahim Mpogo and Tungi Mwanjala.

Judith skyping the children Judith skyping the children

Tanzanear Executive meeting A Tanzanear Executive meeting

Left to right: Lucy Carter and Joseph Hizza

Tanzanear Newsletters

Here is our autumn newsletter. We hope you enjoy it and that it gives more idea of what we do and what things are like in Tanzania. We are extremely grateful to Tania Hurt-Newton for the beautiful design, and Ken Mather of Image Plus Printing for printing it. Both these people helped us for free, and we couldn't manage without them.