The Amani Approach
Amani Children’s Home was originally established in 2009 by a group of Tanzanian community leaders seeking to create a safety net for the most vulnerable children in Monduli District. A USA-TZ partnership began in 2011. At the community’s request, the Amani Foundation (USA) was founded in 2015 (36-4806201) and legally contracted to support the orphanage in 2017. In 2023, following Tanzania’s National Alternative Care Roadmap, Amani’s leadership began a paced and collaborative transformation—shifting from operating an orphanage to leading a family-first model. This shift reflects a region-wide movement: East African governments are embracing reforms that prioritize family-based care over institutionalization. Evidence shows that children thrive best in families, where they receive more individualized attention, emotional support, and stronger long-term outcomes.
To continue advancing a new vision, Amani Initiatives (TZ) was founded in 2024 as a partner NGO (ooNGO/R/7249). We continue to collaborate with and center the guidance of Tanzanian government officials, child welfare experts, scientists, and community members.
Rooted in Community
Healthy Families,
Healthy Ecosystems
Our work goes beyond family support. We recognize that human well-being is deeply tied to the health of animals and the environment. Communities can’t thrive in compromised environments. This is called a One Health approach.
With this in mind, we research and respond to the complex ways that ecological degradation, food insecurity, and wildlife use shape community resilience. These cycles of poverty undermine social progress. We need a new approach.
From regenerative agriculture to social science on biodiversity loss, we prioritize sustainable livelihoods that protect both people and minimize impact on the planet. We look for win-win solutions for human & ecosystem health.
“We owe it to ourselves and to the next generation to conserve the environment so that we can bequeath our children a sustainable world that benefits all.”
We are proudly locally founded and community-driven, working side-by-side with guardians, teachers, farmers, and children to co-create change that lasts. Our model isn’t about quick fixes. It's about building strong families, resilient ecosystems, and a future where no child has to enter orphanage care because of unmet basic needs.
At Amani, we believe that children deserve families—not photo ops. Orphanage tourism, no matter how well-intentioned, often harms the very children it claims to help. Short-term, unstructured visits by unvetted strangers can disrupt children's emotional development, undermine local caregiving, and create incentives to keep children in institutions rather than invest in long-term family-based solutions. In some cases, children are even prevented from reunifying with their families to attract foreign donations and volunteers. Exploitative (“pay-to-play”) orphanage tourism is illegal in Tanzania and widely condemned within the international child welfare community and global travel industry.
Because of this, we take a different approach—investing in capacity-building, ethical partnerships, and structured programming delivered by qualified professionals without financial conflicts of interest. This ensures support for children's mental, academic, and emotional growth—without compromising their right to a safe, stable family life.
Centering Child Safeguarding
Our Most Recent Annual Report
Our 2024 report is the bridge in the narrative between where we’ve been and where we’re going. Click to learn more.
