The Project
The Pippi House Foundation was founded in 2011 by Aristides Nshange, who saw a great need to care for homeless girls and young women and their children. The foundation runs a women’s shelter, where more than 50 girls and women between the ages of twelve and twenty-six are being taken care of together with their children. They are all given the opportunity to attend school or to get an education depending on their age. The girls and women came to the shelter to escape poverty, homelessness and other dangerous living conditions. Many of the inhabitants were forced to marry and/or are victims of human trafficking, domestic violence, and physical and/or sexual abuse. All girls and young mothers can get medical assistance, counselling, and advocacy. The hope is that all girl go to school, finish their education, and start vocational training as tailor or hair dresser to support the Pippi House itself in their own workshop and saloon or learn any other profession to be able to make a living.
Your Work
The start of work is flexible at any time between 9am and 10am. The tasks of the volunteers are diverse and mostly freely selectable. You can start your work day with taking care of the young children, giving a hand at the sewing shop or the hair dresser, or helping to improve the administration work at the Pippi House. At around noon, most of the older girls and women will come back from school, and in the afternoon you can help them with their homework and tutoring. Additionally, they are even open to some educational games you might bring along and introduce to them. You will work together with the director Aristides, the grown up girls, and the young children based on your interests and the needs of the project. Some days you might be asked to give a helping hand with the daily cooking, shopping, or cleaning of the compound.Some days might not come with a special task to do for you, so you have to be a bit creative and ask where your help is needed. Once in a while, you can take some of the girls on a walk through the neighborhood and listen to their stories and problems. You can help them to prepare for the next market where they will sell their products, or you could even start a fundraising campaign. Since most of the girls were not able to finish school or to attend college, donations are always needed to ensure a better future for the girls after their graduation, since schools and colleges in Tanzania are not for free. Please keep in mind that the girls and women have had horrible experiences like human trafficking or sexual assault. Please ensure you are respectful and sensitive to the girls backgrounds. We ask our volunteers to adhere to confidentiality and to never ask the girls anything that could make them uncomfortable. We want Pippi House to be a safe space for them.
