News & Events

In 2025 the focus for the Tumaini crafters is the making of Personal Care Kits for orphan girls in Kagera, Tanzania.  We are very thankful to the ladies from Oceanside, Gold River, Nanaimo, Ladysmith, Duncan, interior BC and northern Alberta who cut out and sew shields, liners, and carry bags. Kit making started in 2014 and as of July 2025 a total of 2,270 kits (including the 22,700 liners) have been shipped. 

Recent photos of the distribution of the kits in Kagera showed some of the bags made by Crafters on Vancouver Island.

We appreciate all  those who donate items (soap, tiny sewing kits, washcloths, panties, PUL) for the kits. 

In order to pay for the shipping, a small team of volunteers sort recyclable bottles and cans donated by people in the Nanoose, Parksville,  and Qualicum communities, and then take the items to a recycle depot.

The shipped boxes have a long sea voyage and then about 1,300 km by truck to reach the orphans, where all the items are most welcome, and make it possible for the girls to attend school without missing days.

A huge bouquet of thanks to our Tumaini Crafters and Supporters!

Tumaini Fund Canada is very grateful for the generous donations from individual donors and charitable organizations  who have helped improve the lives of over 200,000 living in Kagera, Tanzania.  

During this past year funds have been raised for education expenses, including the ongoing need for the purchase of Daftari (the required school notebooks) and also for treadle sewing machines to replace those given to graduating tailoring students.  A charitable foundation generously donated funds for a large number of sewing machines as well as for carpentry tools given to all the students graduating from the 5 carpentry schools operated by TOSO.

Sincere thanks to everyone helping those in need. 

Hi!
I’m Ignas Magesa from Tanzania, I’m one who benefited from your projects through TUMAIN FUND in 2011-2013 at Bisibo secondary school Biharamulo Kagera,

I didn’t know you for the whole periods of time but one of yours workers told me about you and I asked your phone number.

I like to say thank you for your blessed project because you paid school fees for me, and by that time i received a bysicle which helped me to go to school easily

Its about 10 years passed since that time, and now I’m working with one of radio station known as Radio Uhai FM located in Tabora Tanzania as a journalist and presenter.

I send you some of my pictures 😁,

and please if you have anything to advise on me i wish to hear that. Thank you 🙏🙏

Tumaini is working hard to help orphaned students find success for their future.

Not all students qualify for secondary school studies; however, Tumaini Orphan Support Organisation (TOSO, registered NGO) also offers 2-year tailoring and carpentry courses at 5 locations.  

The carpentry students make school desks, doors and shutters for houses built by Tumaini, and also sell furniture to the public.  At the end of their 2-year course, they are given a set of tools to take back to their own community and set up a business.

The young people in the sewing classes learn to sew on newspaper at first (so as not to waste fabric) and then later sew the school uniforms needed by all students who attend school. 

After graduation each tailoring student is given his/her own treadle sewing machine to take home to start their own home-based business.

There are 5 tailoring schools operated by Tumaini, which means that each year Tumaini needs to purchase about 225 new sewing machines.  

This is an ongoing project for Tumaini Fund Canada to raise funds to send to Kagera for the purchase of treadle machines for the incoming students in January and June. 

Our goal for fundraising this fall is to raise $15,000 for the purchase of 60 sewing machines @ $250 each to be ready for incoming students in January 2026.

Tumaini Fund Canada paid for medical insurance which enabled the initial surgery on the face of a 13-year-old in Tanzania, who is suffering from arthrogryosis, congenital malformations of the face, hands and feet.  Dr. Susan saw him in the spring of 2025 and shared how happy the young fellow is.  It is hoped that he can have further surgeries to correct his hands and feet.

Your donation to give this young person a chance to lead a normal life without ridicule would be a truly wonderful gift.

 

Exciting News on March 15, 2021

In 2019 the Tanzanian government decreed that all charities must become Non-Governmental Organizations in order to operate in Tanzania. There were months of learning all the government-imposed layers of governance following July 28, 2020 when Tumaini was registered as an NGO, with the new name “Tumaini Orphan Support Organisation” (TOSO). [Yes, the word was registered with the English spelling for organization.]

All Tumaini’s work in Kagera is now carried out under the name of TOSO. We are so proud of the 5 area coordinators (4 of whom were former Tumaini students) who carry on with office work, registering orphans, working in the field with support workers, supervising building of wells, homes and schools, as well as organizing the distribution of school notebooks (Daftari), which is just a small part of all that they do to improve the lives of the orphans.

TOSO financials will be audited by the government every 3 months. As well, each wire transfer of funds must be accompanied by an official Funding Agreement which the Tanzanian Government Office must stamp with approval before the funds can be withdrawn from the Guernsey, Scotland, USA, or Canadian bank accounts held by TOSO in Tanzania. This is a safeguard that we didn’t have before to ensure the safety of our donated funds.

Isaac, who is the TOSO Chief Program Director and one of the area coordinators, has just completed a new website for TOSO.  We would like to suggest that you bookmark this new website so that you will be able to see the latest Tumaini news from Kagera.

The Tanzanian website, which went live this weekend, can be found at:
www.toso.or.tz

DAFTARI NOTEBOOKS 

A MUST for students to attend SECONDARY SCHOOL

The Tanzania government has replaced Secondary School fees with other essential needs. Now Tumaini students MUST have a set of 10 exercise books called Daftari Notebooks.

Tumaini Fund Canada has recently sent some funds, but much more is needed.

Can you help a child stay in school?  With the increasing number of orphans being helped by Tumaini, it’s a challenging task to fund!  These thousands of students from very poor families, mostly subsistence farmers earning about $250 annually, know that education will lift themselves and their families out of poverty – They desperately want to attend school.

Without our help, students will be refused entry to school for lack of notebooks.  A devastating situation for these anxious and eager students. 

Each set of 10 Daftari Notebooks cost $15.    PLEASE HELP if you are able.

To donate on line – See Donate & Help page for e-transfer info

or mail to    Tumaini Fund Canada                                                                                 2341 Balsam Crescent, Nanoose Bay, BC  V9P 9G2

 

The orphans are unable to do homework in their homes after doing their chores. A gift of a solar lamp makes a world of difference and gives hope for a brighter future  which education can offer.  The solar panel from the lamp is taken to school and placed in a window for recharging. Please consider giving a donation for a solar lamp.  With many thanks on behalf of the orphans.  Solar lamp appeal