A Home For Every Child
Every child deserves a home to grow up in.
In Mwanza, Tanzania, Watoto Wa Africa houses, feeds, schools, and cares for orphaned and vulnerable children — like family, every single day.
120+
Children cared for today
26
Years of continuous care
5
Programs beyond the home
Who We Are
A registered children's home in Mwanza, Tanzania
Founded in 2000 and officially registered as an NGO in 2006, Watoto Wa Africa Orphanage has provided a safe, loving home for orphaned, abandoned, and vulnerable children who have nowhere else to turn — giving every child the chance to grow up healthy, educated, and prepared for a future of their own.
We are an independent Tanzanian NGO, not a branch or franchise of any international charity — and not connected to Watoto Church in Uganda. “Watoto” is simply the Swahili word for “children”.
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Programs
Building toward self-reliance
Agriculture
Our farm reduces food costs and builds long-term self-sufficiency.
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Poultry
Fresh eggs for the children's table, and a step toward reliable income.
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Sports Academy
Football, discipline, and a path some children carry into adulthood.
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Sewing Training
A supervised life-skills class — not labor: three machines, a real trade, staff-led.
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Safaris & Cultural Experiences
Volunteers and visitors explore Tanzania with us — and the programme helps fund the home.
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Sponsor a Child
Every child deserves someone who believes in them
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Hadija A., 13
I like school — really like it, not because I have to. My favourite moment is when I explain something to a classmate who has not got it yet, and I watch it land on her face. I want to be a primary school teacher, so I can be the one who makes that happen every day.
Sponsor Hadija →
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Kasim R., 14
I am safe now, and I am back at school. When I grow up I want to be a police officer. The police were the ones who listened to me and did not turn me away, and I want to be the person someone else can run to.
Sponsor Kasim →
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Fayunswath H., 14
I want to teach in a primary school. It is the small ones I think about — how fast they decide whether to trust you, and how much of who they turn into is settled in those first few years by whether an adult bothered. I know what an adult who bothers is worth. I would like to be that for someone else.
Sponsor Fayunswath →
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Dotto M., 11
I love playing football and dream of becoming a professional player for Tanzania's national team. As a hobby, I'd also like to coach football one day.
Sponsor Dotto →
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Rachel J., 7
I want to become an independent and strong woman.
Sponsor Rachel →
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Michael J., 8
I love learning, so I've decided I want to become a teacher.
Sponsor Michael →
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Sophia R., 9
I want to become a great, experienced teacher — the teachers at my school don't always explain things well, they just assign homework. I'd also like to become an entrepreneur someday, running an import/export business.
Sponsor Sophia →
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Waita Z., 10
I want to become a medical scientist. When I first arrived, I was behind on the local school curriculum — I'd previously studied at an international school where every lesson was in English, which I didn't fully understand at the time. Since starting here, I've been catching up fast.
Sponsor Waita →
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Moshi J., 7
I want to become a nurse. As a hobby, I'd love to raise poultry — chickens and ducks.
Sponsor Moshi →
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Ibrahim M., 8
I often dream about becoming a lawyer one day, and that's the career I've chosen to pursue.
Sponsor Ibrahim →
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Aneth C., 11
I want to become a nurse, because many people here can't access good medical care — for illnesses like malaria or kwashiorkor. As a hobby, I'd love to be a farmer, growing sukuma wiki and mchicha (local greens).
Sponsor Aneth →
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Jackson I., 12
At my new school I found it hard to make friends and often felt like an outsider, but here at the orphanage I love playing with my friends.
Sponsor Jackson →
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Jenipher J., 10
I love my school, and more than anything I just want to keep learning and make my family proud.
Sponsor Jenipher →
Impact
Stories of children who grew up here
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Baraka M.
Before I came to Watoto Wa Africa, life was very difficult — I had no safe place to live, and it was hard to get food, clothing, and other basic needs.
Read Baraka's story → -
Veronica C.
My journey with Watoto Wa Africa began in 2012, when I was 12 years old and in Grade 7. The orphanage gave me more than a place to stay — it gave me hope, guidance, and the opportunity to pursue an education.
Read Veronica's story → -
Justin C.
I grew up at Watoto Wa Africa, and the home gave me the foundation I needed to build a life of my own.
Read Justin's story → -
Nicholaus A.
I was five years old when I was brought to Watoto Wa Africa. I had already faced more than a five-year-old should have to, and I do not remember much of it clearly — only that things were hard, and then they were not.
Read Nicholaus's story →
Volunteer
Your time can change a child's life
Whether you stay for one week or several months, your knowledge, compassion, and experience leave a lasting mark. We welcome individuals, families, university groups, and professionals from around the world.
Volunteer With UsDonate
Every gift changes a life
Your donation helps provide food, education, medical care, shelter, clean water, and clothing. Every contribution, regardless of size, makes a meaningful difference.
Donate NowWatoto Wa Africa Organization · Registered NGO 14NGO/1525, Tanzania, since 2006 · see the certificate