Rafiki Social Point

This is what it's all about.

«A man alone can not bring the boat to the sea» (Swahili proverb)

Away from the tourist hot spots of Dar Es Salaam / Tanzania, many families and single mothers are financially and socially marginalized. Based on the long experience of all project initiators, a start-up project in Kigamboni - a particularly neglected outskirts of Dar Es Salaam - was developed especially for that isolated, particularly vulnerable group of young women and children, WITH THE ULTIMATE GOAL of sustainable, meaning long-term independent and self-determined improvement of individual and family living conditions.

With your support we make the following possible:

(& as seed financers you will always be a meaningful part of it : ))

• A freely accessible, small social center followed by a traditional street grill kitchen for easy, low-threshold contact - the RAFIKI SOCIAL POINT (Rafiki means «friend» in the local language Kiswahili): Professional advice, further training, awareness raising , Networking and social interaction through eating, drinking and holding events together.

• The implementation of two space offers in the center:

I. SOCIAL CORNER:

This is to be supervised by our two trained social workers Stellagrace and Magreth and revolves around the common solution-oriented processing of the special concerns of the target group, be it of basic health, education & work-specific, legal or family / vulnerable / social nature. Please also listen to Stellagrace’s video statement of the everyday hardships of local communities.

A particular concern in the consultations and public relations work is to raise awareness of non-violent upbringing and basic human and children’s rights, since women and children are still massively affected by oppression, exploitation, violence and abuse across all areas of life.

Computers, important addresses / contacts, specific brochures and other information materials are provided for joint research, networking, document and application creation, etc., as well as offers for personal support (eg to relevant offices / NGOs / work and training facilities, etc.) ). In addition, current projects and workshops will be presented, which can be actively participated, sometimes in-house.

II. THE ACTIVE & CREATIVE SPACE:

Here free school tutoring, and as previously mentioned, workshops / trainings, presentations and discussion groups shall be held and creative projects can be worked out together. This space also gives trainees, volunteers and newcomers the opportunity to mobilize for their topics and to share and develop their know-how with the participants.

At the beginning, an art workshop for women (possibly with a later exhibition) would be planned by 2 local training leaders.

Above all, this space should be provided for the community and can be rented for private or common events / celebrations, Meetings etc. against a small donation.

Special Relevance

The center with its offers will mean for the community, especially our target group of women, children & adolescents in their often very fragile and dependent life situations, that they

• Are able to visit a supervised, protected room,
• Feel competently supported and empowered in their concerns, so that problem situations and basic needs can be improved,
• Learn concrete and holistic information, thus have more knowledge and become aware of their rights,
• Expand their abilities, interests and know-how through internal offers, and possibly get a job, study or project place with joint help,
• Are more independent and networked,
• Acquire social skills, i.e. are able to react more sensitively / preventively and actively to negative influences (e.g. violence / abuse, discrimination, alcohol / drugs, HIV, etc.)
• Can rent a space for events etc. & have free access to (Comp.-) Research :)

To break through the negative spiral (growing up in poverty - no school / education - no work - no other support - no escape from poverty & violence - no protection - crime / risk behavior - prison / illness & neglect of your own children, who in turn are in poverty and growing up alone) we must be many in the long term and work together! The Rafiki Collective will therefore form strong collaborations with local and international organizations - in order to network clients according to their concerns - and to promote public sensitization and advocacy, so as to demand Rights and make the voices of those affected loud.

Due to the informal, low-threshold form of the street grill kitchen, we hope to take the broader shyness and facilitate an entry.

This is what I need backing for.

If the «Rafiki Community Center» can be built up successfully, and planned activities can be implemented by paid employees (therefore the list below includes important personnel costs) thanks to the initial financing, a small «cycle of development» should be started, which is worth to be supported further, and will also be maintained by the community and project promoters themselves.

Therefore we ask for initial support to:

• Personnel costs
• Setup of social center with grill kitchen (including registration costs, equipment & basic equipment with 3 laptops, printer & projector)
• Running costs (rent, electricity, water, taxes)
• Material, printing, communication & PR costs.

In phase 2 of the project, an expansion of the core team would be considered if necessary and possible (e.g. 2 additional fixed workshop leaders or social workers), as well as workshops in schools for non-violent teaching and the granting of school scholarships for especially needy children / families in Kigamboni.

A sustainable backup of the social centre should be ensured by the following:

• Establishment of long-term local and international development cooperations
• Rental subsidies from the collective
• Renting for private groups (conferences, events, courses etc.)
• Small workshop and membership fees (e.g. with regular computer use, certificate courses etc.)
• Event planning - fundraising
• Mobilization of volunteers / volunteers & interns
• Income grill kitchen & coffee till
• Sale of self-made «Arts & Crafts pieces» (women’s group)

Kutoa ni moyo, si utajiri «Donation is heart, not wealth»

In this sense, many thanks & Asante