Orphans

The Lundamatwe village straddles the Tanzam Highway, a major trucking route connecting landlocked Zambia and Malawi to the port in Tanzania. The frequent passage by truck drivers fuels the sex trade at guesthouses along this road resulting in a higher prevalence of HIV/AIDS and orphaned children than the majority of Tanzania. Nationally, 11% of those under the age of eighteen are orphans, while in the Iringa Region 16% are orphans. Of the students attending both the Lundamatwe and Ulonge primary schools, more than 25% are orphans. This figure does not include orphans who live in the village but who are not attending school.

In an effort to combat the growing problem of orphans and vulnerable children in the Lundamatwe village Project Kesho is implementing several different programs. This project consists of three facets: secondary school sponsorship, a volunteer based home visit program to identify and address orphan needs, and the creation of a sustainable food source farm.