Hello travellers and volunteers! I have founded Tabasamu orphanage in 2014 in a small town called Usa River, in Tanzania.
I remember I was broke and I was wondering what the orphans of my town would eat being them poor and neglected. As I had only 6 months of income from my job I couldn’t do much for them. I was 26 years old back then.
My friend told me to try borrowing some money from the bank so that I could make my dream come true.
“A young of your age should be somewhere out there enjoying the beautiful life, before getting old. Why don’t you just join the others?”
In 2015, I knocked on the door of a bank to get a loan, so that I could create this project. I was the first Tabasamu sponsor and the first Tabasamu volunteer 🙂.
God was clement!
The Bank assisted me with a load with which I paid for all the necessary bills, but it was strange how all the money got finished in only 2 weeks… I was able to buy:
- 3 bunk beds to be used by 6 children at the beginning,
- also, 6 mattresses and other necessities for the rooms and the beds; I bought food, I rent a house, I made a website, I hired a caregiver etc. I also slept on the floor for almost 3 years!
After Tabasamu was founded, I was exhausted, and I wanted to give up because not everyone could understand my vision. Therefore I had very little help from the people around me but my passion drove me forward and I couldn’t wait anymore.
After all, Tabasamu is the Swahili name for… smile!
David´s pictures:
The connection of the name and what we are doing is obvious: to give a smile opportunity to the kids of our community by providing relevant education, healthy food, school grants, clothes, and everything that defines a child’s future!
Tabasamu orphanage was already in my heart and my soul. But, of course, I also wanted to see it working and existing in a practical way!
Nothing is better than working with and for the community in which you were born and raised. Especially because you know its priorities, history, and the culture of the people. This is very important!
One of the government officials said to me: “A young of your age should be somewhere out there enjoying the beautiful life before getting old. So why don’t you join the others?” He asked while staring at me, shaking his pen with his two fingers! It has been a challenge to me, sure, but I said to him: it is not bad to enjoy life, but it is also not bad to help others too!
I started with 3 children as I obtained their information from a government local office in my community.
Nothing is better than working with and for the community in which you were born and raised. Especially because you know its priorities, history, and the culture of the people. This is very important!
Now we have 9 children who sleep in the compound and several other kids coming from day-care programs.
All children go to an English school but a sponsor recently decided not to continue to fund this cause because he lost his job and he is not able to help anymore.
Sources of money now only come from my salary. Another part comes from donations and fundraising.
I want to thank the volunteers that come here (from all over the world) for giving their contributions whether is practical or financial.
If you also would like to volunteer at Tabasamu Orphanage please let me know!
We will be very happy to receive your support!
Discover how you can help:
Read the announcement to Become a volunteer or consider a donation to Tabasamu foundation: