Help Mattie Bring Clean Water and Food to Tanzania

Hi! My name is Mattie Hazel. In April, I spent 2 weeks volunteering in Tanzania. During my time there, I had the opportunity to teach at two different schools, visit a home for disabled children, teach lessons to a womens education program, and bring food to struggling families. After experiencing the culture and getting a better understanding of what is needed most, I plan to return and stay for 6-8 weeks in the fall.

My top goals for my next visit are installing a clean drinking water system in at least two schools (one being the home for disabled children), and providing two months worth of food for around 30 families. A clean drinking water system can cost around 2,000 usd. A bag of food that lasts a month for families is around 30 usd.

Other goals include, providing new clothing for children in need. While teaching at the Roseflower school in Arusha, my class of about 45 students came to school each day wearing ripped or dirty clothing that they had worn in the days before. Most schools dont have more than a ball or a jumprope for the children to play with. I would like to be able to bring toys for different schools including sensory/stimulating toys for the many children living with autism. From age 3 and up, the children learn to read and write. They use activity books and pencils. The books were all ripped and the pencils were broken. Providing new learning materials is something that most schools would benefit from.

My number one goal is to just be there and spead joy. The people in Arusha were some of the nicest and happiest people I have met. For the conditions they live in, there positivity was truly inspiring. The children and staff at the schools were welcoming and overjoyed to have visitors. Spending time and getting to know the community means the world to them. Anything extra I can provide like supplies and proper materials to people in need would be amazing.

The donations I received for my recent trip were extremely generous. To all that supported me in the leading weeks to my April trip, truly made a huge difference. Im reaching out to the community again hoping to leave a bigger mark and change more lives. To put it into perspective, just 20 US dollars equals 53,800 tanzanian shillings. A typical months rent for the small homes families live in, is around 20,000 shillings. A lot of single women with 3-5 children struggle to find work. They share one bed and the children usually only get 1-2 meals a day at school. A $20 donation could pay a families rent for 2 months. A $30 donation could pay for a months worth of food for a family of 4. Anything helps. Thank you for taking the time to learn about my experience in Africa. Please share the Gofundme link on social media or with friends and family to help me make a difference!