Foxes’ Community and Wildlife Conservation Trust was founded in 2005 to provide shelter, sustenance, education and medical care for vulnerable children and families in the Mufindi Region of Tanzania. Its goal is to curtail the spread of HIV/Aids; to teach life skills, (language, fiscal, vocational and self-sufficiency); and to create supportive networks and opportunities for future generations enabling them to sustainably manage their natural resources.
Healthcare:
One of the main challenges for people living in remote rural areas is access to healthcare as there is no public transport and dirt roads are often damaged by heavy rain. In addition, although anti-retroviral drugs are now government-funded, healthcare in Tanzania can be expensive for people to access. Many are unable to afford to see a doctor or even attend a clinic to be tested for HIV.
In Mufindi, the epicentre of HIV in Tanzania, the rate of infection is nearly eight times the national average and 40% of children have lost a parent to AIDS. Foxes Community and Wildlife Conservation Trust are bringing light back to the lives of these children and the wider community through a holistic approach.
Led by an on-site physician, dentist and nurse, the health team in Mufindi oversees several programmes aimed at providing healthcare access and advocacy to those who need it most. Through training 21 local community health workers, providing life-saving clinical care to 1,000 patients and supporting vulnerable HIV+ caretakers and their infants with nutritional supplementation, little by little, Mufindi is becoming healthier. To date, over 5,000 HIV+ clients have registered at the local clinic to receive HIV care and treatment.
"The Children’s Village is one part of a holistic approach. We want to make a lasting difference, empowering people to be able to help themselves."
Education:
By providing access to education, FCWCT is changing the trajectory of children’s lives, from infancy to adulthood. Their Early Childhood Education Outreach program is now located in eight villages and trains over 20 teachers per month. 2017 saw the completion of a new Vocational Training Centre that will serve 100+ young adults in learning trades to generate income for themselves and their families. Today, 82 of Mufindi’s most vulnerable children are receiving financial support to attend primary school, secondary school and university.
Vulnerable Children:
The Children’s Village continues to be a safe haven for Mufindi’s most vulnerable children. Over 120 children, ages 0 -17 have received shelter, sustenance, education and counselling from its hardworking House Parents and staff. The Social Welfare team also works in the 16 village project area to identify poor households who need help and provides support/interventions to keep families together.
Many of these projects have now been handed over to the community and local authorities following the aim of restoring independence and self-sufficiency.
How can you engage with Foxes’ Trust?
Please do plan to visit Mufindi on your safari and witness the work the Trust is doing first-hand. You can help with lesson planning, storytelling and homework, make school activity materials, take part in outdoor activities and games, help local women weavers make baskets, or assist in the planting and care of vegetables in the greenhouse.
