About us

At the same time, Elias and Peter have educated eight CWD during the academic year of 2018. Three of the eight went to Standard 1 with regular children and the other five, together with fourteen newly registered children formed the class for the academic year of 2019. An important factor for fourteen new students was the Let Us Go To School campaign exerted by Elias and his friends which led to the registration of 122 CWD all over Mbeya. In the beginning of 2019, the group organised the hiring of the compound consisting of an office and a classroom. Also, they arranged materials such as benches, the blackboard, a desk etcetera. In addition, the group supported Damas Mwambenja to study shoemaking in Dar es Salaam. He will be teaching in the Shoemaking Project. Once registered, the board of Able Child Initiatives created Human Resource Policies, Finance and Regulation Policies and Child Protection Policies. For the year 2020, 12 children with disabilities have been registered at the unit for CWD at Ilemi primary school. As it is still possible to apply for education, this number may increase.

Since the academic year of 2019, preschool education is offered to four to six year old children on the compound of Able Child Initiatives. The children either have disabilities or come from poor families. In the year of 2019, 32 children, of which 12 had one or more disabilities, were educated every morning by Matilda Joseph after which 28 children entered Standard 1. Four children with disabilities stayed at Able Child Initiatives to continue with preschool education. For the year 2020, there are 22 students registered of 7 children with disabilities and 15 come from poor families, but more are expected to be registered as the applications are still open.

  Due to the lack of space at nearby primary schools, which leads to children not being able to receive sufficient amounts of education, Able Child Initiatives also provides free education for children from poor families. In 2019, two groups of in total eleven children from Standard 7, aged eleven to fourteen, were educated by Elias Mandago, Maraki Inyasi and Joachim Andrew, one group every morning and one group every afternoon. Unfortunately, only four made it into secondary school. This is a common problem for children from poor families. This year, 70 students, from Standard 3, 4 and 5, aged eleven to fourteen, are being educated every working day in the evening by Maraki Inyasi and sometimes by Elias or Joachim.

In October 2019, Elias joined Workaway, a volunteering platform, to get into contact with volunteers. In December, the first volunteer, Robin van Seumeren, arrived and together with his mother Anneke Jansen who resided at home in the Netherlands and Elias, they created this website.

• Director & Secretary: Elias Mandago
• (Vice) Executive Secretary: Florida Makoye
• Treasurer: Peter Malinga
• Other member 1: Nashon Festo (Chairperson)
• Other member 2: Lilian Mganga (Vice Chairperson)
• Other member 3: Peter Kiloba
• Other member 4: Elisha Nkwinja (Project Manager but not (yet) board member)
• Other member 5: Epafla Masanja (Human Resource Manager but not (yet) board member)
• Other member 6: not yet elected

1. Nashon Festo
2. Elias Mandago
3. Peter Kiloba
4. Ligwa Yumbu
5. Happines Kimaro
6. Zephania Yunge
7. Agness Gadamabi
8. Kitambi Mbegu
9. Rebeka Mwampashe
10. Mwajuma Omary
11. Adelia Sanga
12. Elesia Anderson
13. Kasunga John
14. Saga Magebo
15. Elisha Nkwinja
16. Lilian Mganga
17. Epafla Masanja
18. Peter Maliga
19. Azizi Fransis
20. Mwajuma Tarange
21. Hongera Mtweve
22. Hamis Mafunde
23. Njile Dogani
24. James Pamba

• Ilemi disabled: 12
• ACI preschool education: 22 (of which 7 are have disabilities and 15 are from poor families)
• ACI poor extra school: 70

• Elias Mandago (teaches both at the Able Child Initiatives compound as at Ilemi Primary School)
• Maraki Inyasi (teaches at the Able Child Initiatives compound)
• Joachim Andrew (teaches at the Able Child Initiatives compound)
• Matilda Joseph (teaches at the Able Child Initiatives compound)
• Peter Malinga (teaches at Ilemi Primary School)

Damas Mwambenja

People with disabilities that are currently on the streets such as Leonard

ACI works hand in hand with street leaders. They keep us informed about the situations concerning PWD.

ACI tries to maintain relations with all parents. It has identified a group of 25 mothers which are to be assisted in becoming financially independent.

Every 4 months a report is written to the government.

• Robin van Seumeren (Holland). Robin stayed at Mbeya for a month in January and helped mainly by developing the website. He continued this when he returned to his home-country the Netherlands by writing texts.
• Anneke Jansen (Holland). Anneke, Robin’s mother, has technical website-building skills and has helped building this website from her home country.

Expenses:

Source	Price TZS (USD)
Let Us Go To School Campaign	500,000 (216)
Total	500,000 (216)

Incomes:

1. - All members of the organisation put in money which they could afford until the costs for the project was reached.

Expenses:

Source	Price TZS (USD)
4 * Transportation to Dodoma for registration	280,000 (121)
Hiring lawyer for creating constitution ACI	250,000 (108)
Furniture office ACI	450,000 (195)
Registration fee ACI at Dodoma	150,000 (65)
Creation human resource, finance and regulation and child protection policies	750,000 (325)
Shoemaking training fees Damas	750,000 (325)
Learning materials children	150,000 (65)
Equipment needed for office	270,000 (117)
Painting office	230,000 (100)
12 * rent compound ACI	600,000 (260)
12 * wages teachers	540,000 (234)
Total	4,420,000 (1913)

Incomes:

1. Members of ACI paid a monthly fee of 5,000 TZS
2. In case more money was needed, members of ACI put in what they could afford until enough was raised

Expenses:

Source	Price TZS (USD)
Website domain name and hosting	73,000 (32)
2* rent compound ACI	100,000 (43)
2 * wages teachers	90,000 (39)
Total	263,000 (114)

Incomes:

1. Members of ACI pay a monthly fee of 5,000 TZS
2. In case more money has been needed, members of ACI put in what they could afford until enough was raised