SIP empowers residents of Igoma to overcome poverty.
Child sponsorship
Through child sponsorship, we provide some of Igoma’s poorest children with access to basic necessities of life, such as food, healthcare and education. Dedicated staff in Igoma help identify the most vulnerable children in the community, check in on sponsored children and report back on how sponsorship gifts are being used. Most of the money goes toward food for the family and school uniforms and supplies for the sponsored child. Through the program, sponsored children and their guardians have free access to healthcare at the Urafiki Health Clinic.
Youth education
While education in Tanzania is free to age 15, poorer families are unable to afford the required uniforms and school supplies, or pay examination fees as their children advance. SIP helps older children and young adults in three ways:
- Secondary school scholarships support students who demonstrate financial need and academic potential, for up to four years.
- Vocational assistance supports young adults studying at a local trade school.
- Support is provided for medical assistant training (e.g., nurse’s aides, lab technicians and midwives) at an approved medical facility.
Along with maintaining good academic standing, scholarship students are required to provide supervised community service, which may include tutoring other students.
Healthcare
Since helping to establish and staff the Urafiki Health Clinic in 2003, SIP continues to provide support to ensure that critical healthcare needs are being met with high standards of care.
Staffed by licensed Tanzanian doctors and nurses, the busy clinic most commonly treats malaria, water-borne diseases, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and skin and dental problems, as well as delivering babies. Its Mother Child Care Center provides care, support and education to mothers of newborn babies, including teaching them how to integrate good hygiene practices into their everyday lives.
Today, SIP’s financial assistance goes mainly toward staff salaries and the purchase of medical equipment and supplies. We also support management in establishing the systems and procedures needed to ensure the effective, safe and efficient delivery of healthcare services.
