As part of our Black Education Diasporic (BED) work, we run a small Tanzania Girls Home that was started in the home of House Manager Judith Atamba in October 2021. The home provides a home base for (mostly orphaned) girls who are continuing their education in boarding schools and universities. The home is an integral part of our work to increase educational access and opportunities in Black communities outside the US, especially for girls and women.
In April 2022, Atamba and the resident girls were forced out of the home when an abusive ex-partner occupied the property. At the beginning of May 2022, we rented a house for a year, as a temporary solution to the housing needs of the group. That lease is up at the end of this month (April 2023) and we are asking for your assistance to purchase Atamba’s home. Recently, we have learned that Atamba’s home is available for purchase, as her ex-partner neglected to pay the rent and the property owner has decided to relocate. For approximately USD $20,000, we would be able to purchase the land and house, including the surrounding gardening space that Atamba cultivated with her daughter. Tax-deductible contributions of any size are welcome!
This is a one-time request to support the permanent home of the project. Currently, ten individuals call the house home, including Atamba’s son’s family, two girls studying at boarding school, and three girls studying at universities. Purchasing the land, including house and garden, will provide everyone with a secure and permanent place to live. At the beginning of May 2023, we will post an update on this web page.
Some Background Information:
In March 2017, Executive Co-Director K. Melchor Quick Hall met Judith Atamba on a trip to Tanzania. At the time, Atamba was working at a permaculture-oriented boarding school for orphaned children, started by people from the US. After Hall returned to the US, she stayed in contact with Atamba. Atamba would often talk to Hall about the gaps in the existing school program. What would happen with the girls when they graduated and it was time to go to university? How would they navigate societal pressures to marry at a young age without opportunities to support themselves? After several years of talking about the heart-breaking challenges of the young women who needed a secure home, Atamba accepted Hall’s invitation in October 2022 to join the AAERO staff and open the Tanzania Girls Home.