Tanzania is on the east coast of Africa, south of Kenya. Its capital is Dodoma, and its largest city and economic hub is Dar es Salaam. Tanzania is actually a union between two nations, Tanganyika (the mainland) and Zanzibar, an archipelago a few miles off the coast. The national language is Swahili, but more than one hundred regional languages are spoken. Tanzania is home to many famous geographic landmarks, such as the Serengeti, Kilimanjaro, and the Gombe Stream national park, where Jane Goodall studied chimpanzees.

Tanzanians are incredibly open and community-oriented. Life plays out in public, and the lines between family, neighbor, and friend are often blurred. Walking through neighborhoods in the evening, one is often greeted with calls of “Karibu!” (Welcome!), to either sit for a chat or join for a bite to eat. On the mainland, the favorite food is ugali, a kind of polenta made from corn or cassava flour. On Zanzibar, a favorite food is pilau, a spiced rice dish.

Poverty is widespread in Tanzania. Approximately 68% of the population live on less than $1.25 a day. The path to economic stability is often long and difficult: access to credit institutions, education and health infrastructure, or employment opportunities are sparse. Additionally, safety nets like insurance or public services are rare, meaning that accidents, health problems, or other unforeseen situations can be disastrous.

The majority of Tanzanians have an assortment of small jobs, like selling goods in a shop, having a small plot of land for agriculture, owning a few chickens or goats, or being a handyman. For example, our team in Tanzania, Leticia and Hemed, have been taxi drivers, Swahili teachers, chicken farmers, and salespeople! Only a small minority are truly employed under the terms of a contract.

Our recipients must fulfill a variety of requirements: those living below the international poverty line (define by the World Bank as $2.15 per person per day), widows, the handicapped, and others living under economic hardship. Recipients must be able to clearly identify a need and develop a project with our team in Tanzania. In order to focus our resources, we will concentrate on the Dar es Salaam area, and are coordinating with the Tanzanian government to identify communities in need of support.

Studies have shown that direct cash transfers are rarely used on “temptation goods” like alcohol and drugs, but rather lead to long term improvements in health and monetary poverty. Nonetheless, projects will be executed together with our team in Tanzania, and recipients are encouraged to build a support network among themselves.

Our approach to fighting poverty is individualistic, working with single people and familes at a time to improve their quality of life. Nikolas (chairperson) and Leticia (our lead in Tanzania) have known each other for over five years, and this personal connection helps us reach the community directly. Learn more about how we started and our mission here.

Poverty relief is a complicated, multifaceted, and long-term problem, and no single approach will work on its own. Though large scale interventions are also important, sending money to individuals is immediate, cost efficient, and empowering. At Tia Moyo, we are committed to helping those who are so often left out of decisions on how aid is distributed.

Our team in Tanzania identifies recipients and helps shape projects, whereas the German team mainly focuses on fundraising and broad oversight. For larger projects or grants, we work together to generate proposals, budgets, and goals.

Yes, we are an officially registered non-profit in Germany, and German residents can deduce donations from their taxes! All gifts of less that 300 Euros do not need a donation certificate (Spendenbescheinigung), and you can use your account statement as evidence. If you want a donation certificate anyway, just send us an email!

Our logo is a hand sign known as the "finger heart," a sign that has been popularized by K-Pop stars. There is even a finger heart emoji!

Just send us an email, and let us know your questions, comments, and concerns.