In 2010, the nurse Manuel Isabo, who comes from Bettmaringen, founded the Umoja na Upendo Communtiy (Swahili: Community of Unity and Love) in Moshi, Tanzania. It all started with a small children’s house in which no boys who previously lived on the street found a new loving home. The children’s home quickly became a central point of contact for the whole neighborhood. Community work began, in which single parents and seriously ill mothers with their disadvantaged children were supported by donations from Germany in the supply of food, medicine and clothing and they were given access to educational institutions. Our first chairwoman Katharina Winterhalder lived and worked together with Manuel and the children from 2010 to 2012 in the children’s home. It quickly became clear that the need for support and further cooperation is great. This is how the educational funding project and a cross-border cooperation with the newly founded WaKa eV came about.

Until his tragic death in July 2015, Manuel Isabo, as head of the children’s home, was an important contact person for children, women and families in Moshi, who gave everyone an open ear and carried out and continued his activities out of deep conviction.

Grace Kiluwa, Manuel’s partner, quickly took over the management of the projects to support children and women in difficult situations in the Kilimanjaro region in 2015. Since then we have been working hand in hand with our Tanzanian partners to continue Manuel’s life’s work. In 2017, an important milestone was laid for the continuation and increasing independence of the projects on site: The registration of the Umoja na Upendo Community Center as an independent non-governmental organization.