Join us in bringing a Happy Holiday and a loving New Year to our children!

HELP US FILL UP OUR CHRISTMAS TREE! Check out the sneak peek of the campaign now! 

With less than one month until the Holidays, we are very excited to kick-off our 2014 Holiday sponsorship drive! As you may know, the goal for last year’s sponsorship drive was to get at least one sponsor for each child. The campaign was a huge success, and we cannot begin to express how grateful we are for our supporters and advocates! Without you, none of what we have achieved would have been possible – THANK YOU!

What is the focus of our #GiveandReceive Holiday Sponsorship Drive this year?

The #GiveandReceive Holiday sponsorship drive is a campaign focused on bringing a Happy New Year to our kids in Nkoaranga! We want to build a loving, safe and healthy home for our children, and have made several plans for the next year with this goal in mind. The plans revolve around the kids, and will be funded through their sponsorships.  Therefore, the main goal this year is to get, not just one sponsor for each child, but FULL sponsorship for each child!

What have we achieved so far in 2014?

As you may also know, 2014 has been an extremely busy and successful year! We have been granted permission to start building the Happy Family Children’s Village.  The pilot for this exciting project has been successful: with our school-age kids living and being looked after in the pilot house, and attending school as day-pupils.

The #SmallThingsSummer campaign was fantastic in bringing together lots of people doing small fundraisers to achieve a big result.  Efforts have been put into our long-term vision of sustainable development through our Outreach Program.  And, last but not least, we have approved the Orphanage Reform Project plan which will substantially improve the quality of life of the children and Mamas.

The new baby room implemented through the Orphanage Reform Project! Excellent team work!

Where will the money raised from #GiveandReceive go?

The sponsorship money will go towards increasing the living standard for each amazing child. This increase in living standards will be achieved through implementing the Orphanage Reform Project plan (outlined below). 

More Mamas per shift: The incredible Mamas will have more time to spend with the children; meet the children’s developmental needs, and help them to form healthy attachments.  Importantly, the Mamas will also have a more manageable workload.

Nutritious food: Each child's specific needs will be taken into account, leading to happier and healthier children. 

Better pre-school education: Pre-school lays the foundations which will be built upon throughout education, and a child’s experience here is very important.  The children will be given the best start towards a bright future in which they can choose what they want to do with their lives, and support themselves independently. 

More child-focused staff members at The Small Things: Empowering the community through employing more people. Also, employing external people will expand our skills portfolio which equals to greater opportunities in the future for the orphanage! 

This beautiful flower, Isaac, is just one of the many children who will be benefiting from this years #GiveandReceive Campaign! 

How can I be a part of #GiveandReceive?

Every day we see the positive changes our donors make possible, and we want you to be a part of that change. The TST Christmas tree is back this year! Through sponsoring a specific child, you start filling up the tree with the children-picture ornaments!  You can set up an automatic monthly sponsorship, or choose to pay upfront for the whole of 2015. Alternatively, you can become a general donor! 

• Silver Donors:

As a Silver Donor, you will receive a paper ornament with the children's hand-prints as a thank you gift. You can become a Silver Donor by: 

·  Rafiki (friend) sponsorship of $15/£10 per month
·  Shangazi (aunt)/Mjomba (uncle) sponsorship of $30/£20 per month
·  One-time general donation of at least $150 to TST. 

• Gold Donors: 

As a Gold Donor, you will receive a handmade Tanzanian ornament as a thank you gift. Become a Gold Donor by: 

·  Mualim (teacher) sponsorship of $60/£40 per month
·  Maazi (Parent) sponsorship of $100/£60 per month
·  One-time general donation of at least $500 to TST. 

• Diamond Donors:

As a Diamond donor, you will receive the 2015 TST Calendar with pictures of our beautiful children. You can become a Diamond Donor by:

·  Shujaa (Hero) sponsorship of $180/£115 per month 
·  Shujaa ya Shule (School hero) sponsorship of $240/£150 per month
·  Sustainer sponsorship of $500/£320 per month
·  One-time general donation of at least $1000 to TST. 

HELP US FILL UP OUR CHRISTMAS TREE! Check out the sneak peek of the campaign now! 

Your support allows us to continue giving love and support to our wonderful children.  Thank you for being part of a campaign which brings people across the world together in giving and receiving love, joy, kindness, and humanity.

Happy Universal Children's Day!

"We were all children once. And we all share the desire for the well-being of our children, which has always been and will continue to be the most universally cherished aspiration of humankind."
                                                                 Report of the UN Secretary General, 2001


Yesterday, 20th November, was the 60th Universal Children's Day. This is a day devoted to promoting the welfare of the children of the world, stopping violence against them and focusing on their rights.

This year marks 25 years since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the UN - the first time that children were recognised by an international treaty as being rights holders.

Its overall statement is that the best interests of the child must always be top priority in all actions that concern children. It gives them basic rights to life, security, identity, education and healthcare; protects them from exploitation and abuse; and gives governments a responsibility for making sure all this happens.

Universal Children's Day 2014

At The Small Things, we believe that this is absolutely right. The best interests of our children are at the heart of every decision we make. It breaks our hearts that so many children in the world don't have anyone looking out for them in this way, and that we can't do it for every child in the world who needs it.

Our kids on the tyre swing

That's why Universal Children's Day is so important: it puts the responsibility on governments to provide for and protect children and to ensure that their rights are being upheld. It gives governments no excuses for not doing this. Nearly every country in the world has signed up to the Convention (including Tanzania but sadly, not the US), yet millions of children all over the world are struggling because they haven't put it into practice.

Today is a day that we recognise that this is wrong; when we celebrate what has been achieved but recognise that there is so much more to do. All children deserve the best start in life we can give them, and they deserve a day when the whole world stands in solidarity  and support of that.

The Small Things is proud to be supporting Universal Children's Day - and we hope that you will too.


If you would like to look into this further, we recommend a couple videos:
Firstly, 'From Children's Rights to Children's Realities' (Save the Children's Child Rights Governance Global Initiative 2012) is a short summary of the rights given to children by the Convention and the problems that still need to be addressed.
If you have a bit more time, try listening to '25 Year's of Children's Rights' (Session 3 - English). The UN Committee on Children's Rights has asked children from across the world to discuss the major issues of our time, in celebration of 25 years since the Convention. This session includes the representatives from Tanzania.

Life in Nkoaranga - A Video Blog

One of our incredible volunteers, Cassie McCloud recently left Nkoaranga after volunteering for 8 weeks with The Small Things. In this video blog, Cassie describes her experience of volunteering for The Small Things, as well as her experience of living in Nkoaranga.  

Cassie brought so much joy and happiness into the lives of our children, and we cannot thank her enough for all her hard-work and enthusiasm.

If you're interested in coming to join us here in Tanzania, visit http://thesmallthings.org/helpvolunteer.html for more information!

Lessons Learned from Working in Tanzania

In this week's blog post, our Marketing & Fundraising Coordinator, Ashley Hoy, reflects on her past 6 months with The Small Things, shedding light on the significance of her experience and her lessons learned. Thank you Ashley for giving the Nkoaranga community your time, love, and efforts. We wish you the best in your future endeavours. Karibu tena!

Guest Blog by Ashley Hoy
Marketing & Fundraising Coordinator

Today marks the very last day of my internship here with The Small Things (TST). Exactly 6 months ago, I arrived in Tanzania with a free mind, an open heart, and helping hands. Having recently graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Physical Health and Education as well as Post-Graduate Certificate in Sport and Event Marketing, I was eager to apply my academic skills on the international field, while keen to gain the knowledge and perspective achieved only by immersing oneself in an unfamiliar setting.

Little did I know how impactful my experience here would be. By this I refer to the genuine impact that TST has on the community it serves as well as the impact in which the past 6 months has had on my own personal life. I have gained an abundance of knowledge, and a wealth of experiences of which 3 key lessons, while intuitive, have affected me greatly and will stick with me forever. 

1) Small actions really can lead to BIG change.

Specifically when it comes to creating positive impact and empowering people to improve their lives. TST's Outreach Program is a prime example of how a simple one time donation of $50 can empower a mother of 3 by setting her up with a small business. With a simple micro-grant in the shape of a clothing, soap, or chicken business, TST enables families to be able to put food on their tables, get more kids in school, and sustainably break the poverty cycle of a family and generations to come. I was fortunate to witness the inspirational Mama Max from our Outreach Program during my time here, who truly embodied the essence of taking a small step in producing positive effects. With her determination mixed with a little bit of TST support, a small business grant has led to a successful chicken business, enabling Mama Max to expand into the banana business, while improving the living conditions of her 4 children.

Mama Max - Outreach Program

2) Just because things are better, does not make them great. Just because things are great, does not mean they can't be better.

From the beginning of my internship, it seemed as though every day brought new and exciting adventures for TST. From acquiring new grants and moving forward with the Children's Village construction, to the addition of new staff and the expansion of the Outreach Program, TST was clearly growing very very quickly, positively impacting more people everyday. What really struck me however is the determination by the on-the-ground staff and TST's passionate Board Members in ensuring TST's growth is sustainable and responsible. Midway through my internship, an NGO Capacity Building Consultant, Carrie Barbo, took the TST staff through an unforgettable workshop, teaching us how to capitalize on our strengths and build from our weaknesses. This experience was extremely eye-opening and beneficial for the growth and development of TST as an organization, as well as all the staff as individuals. While it's easy to get caught up with all the exciting new advances, especially being such a small and intimate charity, it's refreshing to be a part of team that has such a great focus on developing and ensuring the constant improvement of its programs.

3) When many people work together, we can change the world!

Well.. I realize that's a bold statement. So maybe not the entire world, but it's definitely steps in the right direction. For instance, my main project during my internship with TST was to run our summer fundraising campaign, #SmallThingsSummer. The goal was to raise $20K by motivating people to make small actions in order to raise funds and awareness for TST. While $20K is a lot of money to raise through small efforts such as coin jars, lemonade stands, bake sales etc., supporters from all over the world came together to not only raise $20K, but exceeded the goal by more than $3000! With everyone coming together for a purpose larger than themselves as individuals, the TST community was able to raise enough funds to implement the Orphanage Reform, upgrading the orphanage's infrastructure, hiring more staff, installing solar panels, renovating the kitchen etc.

9 of the many amazing #SmallThingsSummer participants

During my time here, I have learned so much about myself as well as about the world I live in, and the world I hope and dream of. This journey of mine would not have been as remarkable had it not been for all the talented and passionate people in which I had the pleasure of working with; TST's on-the-ground staff, the Board of Directors, all of TST's amazing donors and supporters, the Mamas that work day in and day out to provide the children at the Nkoaranga Orphanage with love and care, TST's loving volunteers, and of course the amazing kids I've come to love unconditionally. To all of TST's family and friends, I want to give my thanks and say "Asante Sana!" for an unforgettable adventure. I wish the best for TST and the Nkoaranga community, and I look forward to returning in the future. 

Nakupenda TST! 

- Love Ashley

Ashley and Shujaa