Reuniting Kids

Amani’s belief is that the best place for children to grow up is with their family and in a safe and loving environment - not in an institution.

Amani is not an orphanage – it is Amani’s belief that the best place for a child to grow up is in a safe and loving family and not in an institution. Amani views family reunification as the most sustainable solution for the tragedy of child homelessness.

We therefore aim to reunify children into the homes of extended family members, giving kids the chance to spend the rest of their childhood with an aunt, uncle, or grandparent. The extended family provides children with long-term personalized care and allows them to grow up within their own culture and traditions.

Locating family members is often a challenging task in Tanzania, where roads are un-mapped and un-named, and only a small minority of the population has access to a telephone or even electricity. Amani’s social workers travel all over the country, searching for members of the children’s family.

Extended family bonds are strong in Tanzania and many families are willing to care for young relatives in need. Often a child’s relative is able to provide a safe and loving home for that child, but they cannot afford to feed and educate them. In this case, Amani will assist the family with the child’s food and education expenses allowing the child to live with the family.

To date, Amani has brought more than 1,000 formerly homeless children into the care of loving families.