US researchers praise Africa Bridge project in Tanzania

DAR ES SALAAM: THE implementation of the Africa Bridge Project in Tanzania is considered a “game changer” in the lives of vulnerable children, not only in the country but also elsewhere in Africa.

This compliments the author of the book “And The Children Shall Lead Us,” which was launched in Dar es Salaam over the weekend. Mr Barry Childs received this compliment from researchers at the University of Texas in the United States through their Ray Marshall Centre.

“Writing this book and starting the project are the result of a study conducted by the University of Texas in the United States through their Ray Marshall Research Centre. The approach used by the project will undoubtedly yield positive results in the lives of vulnerable Tanzanian children,” he said.

During the launch of his 168-page book, Mr Childs mentioned that about 7,700 children had been reached by the project in six wards and 37 villages in Rungwe District, Mbeya Region.

“These vulnerable children have been rescued from extreme poverty by providing them with accommodation, education, and health insurance as part of the Africa Bridge Project in the country,” he said.

Mr Childs explained that after 35 years, he returned to Tanzania where he grew up as a child and was saddened to find rural people struggling with extreme poverty.

This prompted him to start an aid organization to alleviate extreme poverty. “Most of the people I grew up with in Arusha Region between 1944 and 1962 were still living in poverty, and some had even lost their lives due to extreme poverty. So, I decided to write this book to instill a positive attitude in rural people and help them, especially children,” he said over the weekend.

To address extreme poverty in vulnerable rural children, the Africa Bridge Organization involved the children themselves, their parents, and the community through village committees to support the upbringing of children at home, school, and in the community in general.

Mr Childs added that through the project, vulnerable children learned entrepreneurial activities related to dairy cattle, such as milking and selling milk products, as well as planting avocado trees for business.

Project Coordinator Kelvin Ngonyani said the book has an exciting narrative aimed at uplifting rural vulnerable children out of extreme poverty and imparting knowledge of sustainable agriculture, entrepreneurship, and improving their lives.

He stated that an effective way of serving vulnerable children is through family and community committees, as well as the participation of village, ward, and local government leaders, providing support that produces positive results.

One project beneficiary, Ms Sara Mosses (22), a resident of Rungwe District in Mbeya Region, shared her life story. She was taking a community development course at Rungemba Mafinga College.

“I am one of the beneficiaries of this project. I have been educated through avocado farming from the primary school level and am currently a college student, studying community development. After my studies, I want to return to my home village and continue serving my community, especially vulnerable children,” she added.

Mr Childs’ book, a fascinating account of 23 years of Africa Bridge, a sustainable and cooperative agricultural model transforming rural villages, is based on both field experience and academic research.

The book raises awareness of its potential to uplift the most vulnerable children out of poverty in the country. Mr. Childs, who grew up in the country, left for further studies in South Africa, and later returned home to help his homeland.

After obtaining his Bachelor of Applied Science in Psychology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and working for 17 years at Exxon Company and serving as Director of Learning at Abbott Laboratories, he resigned in 2000 and founded Africa Bridge to help vulnerable Tanzanian children.

When he returned to Tanzania 35 years later, the African country was grappling with poverty and the ravages of HIV/AIDS. “And The Children Shall Lead Us” tells the engrossing story of how the project works, how it came about and was implemented, and what has been learned during Africa Bridge’s 23 years of operation.

Mr Childs’ viewpoint is that to transform vulnerable children’s lives, a secure revenue stream is needed to enable them to be nurtured and educated, and offered realistic opportunities to realize their potential.

Africa Bridge establishes agricultural cooperatives and children’s committees, empowering village women to generate sustainable incomes while meeting social needs. This community-based, childfocused approach provides a blueprint for ethical development.