ARUSHA KIDS TRUST
Action for growth and education
ABOUT US
WHO WE ARE
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Arusha Kids Trust (AKT) is a not-for-profit charity registered in NSW Australia that supports impoverished children and young people in the town of Arusha, Tanzania. The Trust was formally registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) in 2016. In June 2019 the Australian Tax Office granted AKT Deductible Gift recipient status (DGR). All donations made within Australia over $2 are tax deductible.
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HOW IT ALL BEGAN
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Our organisation has grown strongly from its beginning in September 2014 when Trustee and Public Officer Kathy Green made her first visit to the town of Arusha in the north of Tanzania. Kathy was keen to visit a child whom she had been supporting to attend school in Arusha over the previous three years.
Kathy was assigned as a volunteer to the rural Save Africa Orphanage (SAO) in Leganga, a village about 25km to the east of Arusha. SAO was very under-resourced. During Kathy's placement, it became apparent there was insufficient food provided. As well some of the children resident at SAO were too old to be in the SAO pre-school classroom. While still in Arusha, Kathy enrolled one girl in primary school and started work organising nutritious food for all the children. She returned to Australia and began to organise the program that is AKT today.
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WHAT WE DO
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The purpose of AKT is to provide assistance to impoverished children and young people living in Arusha, Tanzania. This includes providing access to food, education, healthcare, essential services and support networks. Our purpose also includes supporting the wellbeing and development of these young people in their community.
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In order to fulfill our goals, our supporters are encouraged to
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donate monthly to the Supplementary Food Program (SFP) so that regular weekly deliveries of nutritious food to SAO supplement the basic diet of the children and/or
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sponsor children to attend school. This program has become the major focus of AKT, to ensure all school-age children from SAO are attending school
The Trust is also working hard to develop:
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a better living environment at SAO
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a health education program for the adolescent girls
The Trustees meet regularly, publish regular newsletters, keep in touch with sponsors, liaise with our partner organisations, initiate fundraising activities and manage the Trust according to the requirements of the ACNC.
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Check out our four programs by clicking on the links below.
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WHO SUPPORTS US
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AKT has supporters and friends not only in Australia but also in Canada, Denmark, Italy, Spain, UK and the USA. Most of our international supporters have spent time in Arusha volunteering at SAO. Because of this, their advice and ideas are highly valued.
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We work in partnership with eight schools and a number of colleges as well as with the SAO.
THE TRUSTEES
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Kathy first went to Tanzania as a volunteer in 2014. She was introduced to SAO where she realised the children had both nutritional and educational needs. It soon became apparent there was a need to establish an organisation to assist these children. After obtaining legal advice, the Trust was registered in 2016. Kathy as Public Officer gives her time to the administration, liaison and development of AKT at home in Sydney. She has so far travelled to Arusha seven times at her own expense. Kathy has a BSc(hons) Biochemistry and an MSc(Med). She spent most of her working life as a Senior Scientist with the NSW Biochemical Genetics Service based at the Children’s Hospital, Westmead. She also held senior administrative roles in the Health and University sectors..
Kathy Green
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Dr Chris Fox
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Chris has supported AKT since 2014 and is a founding Trustee. She travelled to Arusha five times with Kathy to visit SAO and local schools. Chris has worked as a teacher and then a senior education academic in Australia for over 30 years. She has consulted in a number of educational planning and development projects in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, particularly regarding education for girls in remote areas. From 2005 to 2012 she was the Secretary-General of the World Council for Comparative Education Societies, allowing her to have a global understanding of education and development.
Suzi Morgan
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Suzi has supported AKT since it’s inception. She had hoped to visit Tanzania with Kathy during 2020, but international travel was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Suzii has a B.A. degree, a Diploma in Teaching and a Graduate Diploma in Special Education. She worked as a teacher of children with disabilities in the NSW school system from 1987 to 2019. She is a firm believer that good mentorship, education and a sense of belonging can be profoundly and positively life altering.
Suzi joined AKT as a trustee in 2021 and is very much looking forward to working with the AKT team both from Australia and on the ground when visiting Tanzania.
Jeni Pattison
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Jeni has been a longtime supporter of AKT and became a trustee in 2021. She plans to visit Arusha once Covid-19 travel bans are lifted to meet the children she has heard so much about.
After some years as a secretary and credit controller Jeni had a career change and went into the fitness industry. She was the “Fitness Guru” for over 20 years at the St George and Sutherland Community College. Jeni also taught gentle exercise for many years for SHARE a Not-for-Profit organisation which provides affordable community exercise and health education programs. She started her own business running health retreats, fitness classes, personal training and educating clients in leading a healthy lifestyle. Jeni has a deep understanding of the benefits of good nutrition and functional fitness.