Current Projects
Lupila x Sumasesu:
Support for women and professional development
The SUMASESU project is an initiative of the Tanzanian NGO SUMASESU, which has been promoting sustainable community development in the Njombe region (Makete) since 1998. The organisation's aim is to empower people through education, health and economic independence - in line with its motto ‘Support Mankind to Self-Support’.
Women in particular are the focus of the current project, which aims to empower them to build and expand successful businesses on their own. Through targeted training in areas such as marketing, credit and sustainable business development, existing initiatives such as tailoring, carpentry and soap production are supported and further developed. At the same time, SUMASESU promotes sustainable education in primary schools through school gardens and the teaching of healthy eating and sustainable agriculture.
Lupila Learns supports SUMASESU with a financial contribution of €3,000 because the project not only contributes directly to economic independence and equal opportunities, but also sustainably improves the quality of life in the communities in the long term. This support complements existing funding from renowned partners such as Bread for the World and USAID and helps to effectively implement long-term changes on the ground.
Lupila Female Empowerment Fund:
Promoting financial independence and collective responsibility
The Female Empowerment Initiative in Lupila empowers women through financial education, entrepreneurship and mutual support. In a weekly meeting, the 17 members coordinate their activities and jointly invest in local projects, social aid and small businesses.
The joint fund is fed by shares of 20,000 TSH (approx. €8) each and voluntary donations. The women use the starting capital of around €680 to buy household goods from wholesalers, for example, which they sell on within the community at a profit. They also grant small loans with fair repayment terms within the group.
Lupila Learns supports this impressive initiative because it combines economic independence with a sense of community. With your donation, you can help to give women in Lupila long-term prospects and real participation.
Lupila Secondary School:
Renovating the remaining dormitories
Lupila Secondary School in southern Tanzania has made enormous progress in recent years: New classrooms, modern girls' accommodation and a reliable power supply have been created - thanks in part to projects that we have implemented together with the school management and our partner Abkasa. However, despite these successes, one key challenge remains unresolved: accommodation for the boys. Currently, 80 pupils share a single dormitory, which is poorly ventilated, overcrowded and in need of renovation. The old wooden beds are unstable and the mattresses and blankets are often too thin to ensure a good night's sleep in the cold, mountainous region.
Our aim is to provide the boys with a safe and dignified retreat. To achieve this, we would like to comprehensively renovate existing dormitories and extend unused parts of the building. The plan is to purchase robust metal beds, thicker mattresses and high-quality blankets - but also to thoroughly renovate the rooms and modernise the sanitary facilities. Hygiene, privacy and peace and quiet are essential for learning and personal development, especially in an environment where 400 of the 640 pupils live on the school grounds. The total cost of the project is €19,474, of which €8,864 is for new dormitories and €10,610 for the renovation of the building.
With your donation, you can help to sustainably improve the quality of life of these children. You not only enable them to get a good night's sleep, but also support equal opportunities at a school that will serve as a role model for the entire region in the long term. Every contribution helps - 100% of the donations go directly to the children.
Lupila Primary School:
Basic renovation of 2 classrooms and the school roof
Lupila Primary School is the first step towards a better future for many children. The classrooms are in a poor state - dirty walls, broken windows and a lack of learning materials make learning difficult on a daily basis. We now want to renovate two particularly badly damaged rooms together with the committed school management in order to provide more light, warmth and motivation in everyday school life. After all, good learning conditions are not only important for acquiring knowledge, but also a sign of appreciation for the children and their families.
The challenges are great: many children have to walk up to 8 kilometres to school, often on an empty stomach. The quality of teaching suffers from the high attendance ratio of 50:1, and only around 40% of pupils currently make the transition to secondary school. Poverty, long journeys to school and a lack of motivation mean that some children would rather play in the fields than sit in the classroom. This is exactly where we come in: By refurbishing the classrooms, we want to show that going to school is worthwhile - that school can be a safe, bright place where people enjoy learning and growing.
Together with the school, we are pursuing other long-term projects: a school garden for more nutritious food, a chicken farm, more sports facilities - everything to give the children holistic access to education. But first we need your help to renovate the two badly damaged classrooms. Support us with a donation and help us to noticeably improve the learning conditions for the youngest children in Lupila.
* The amounts shown are based on the cost estimates available to us, as well as an exchange rate of 1 € = 2685 TSH