Mwanangu Development Tanzania (MWADETA)
Mwanangu Inclusive Community is an initiative founded by Mwanangu Development Tanzania (Previously known as Friends of Children with Cancer Tanzania FOCC) under Non-Governmental Organization Act 2002 with registration number 00NGO/00010215. Supporting the needs of vulnerable children in the health and education sector in Tanzania with PO Box 84 Dar es Salaam. Headquarters in Vikindu, Mkuranga District, Pwani Region. The Mwanangu Inclusive Community began as a humanitarian response by establishing Mwanangu Special School to support children with disabilities especially spina bifida and hydrocephalus who were not able to access education due to the following reasons;
- Limited number of Inclusive Early Childhood Development and Primary schools in the community
- Stigma of the community to enrol and accept young disabled children to schools who are incontinence
- Long distance and lack of accessibility of public schools for disabled children without assistive aids
- High cost of education – most of the parents are very poor and cannot afford school fees in private schools
- Lack of knowledge of teachers and administrators in the care of these children at school
- Lack of rehabilitation Services close to the school hence missing school for few days to attend rehabilitation clinics
- Caregivers are not able to find jobs to support themselves due to full time caring for the child hence remain poor and dependent on donations from good Samaritans.
WHO WE ARE
Mwanangu Development Tanzania (MWADETA) is a Tanzanian non-governmental organization committed to improving the lives of children living with hydrocephalus and spina bifida. We work to ensure that every child — regardless of where they are born — has access to timely medical care, inclusive education, essential medical supplies, and supportive community services. Our work focuses on strengthening systems so that services are available closer to home, especially in rural and underserved regions of Tanzania.
Our mission
Our vision
OUR STRATEGIC APPROACH
We believe in:-
Partnership
Sustainability
Equity
Dignity
OPERATIONAL AREA
In March 2017 Mwanangu Development Tanzania hosted a community meeting with more than 100 parents of children with and without disabilities and their relatives in Vikindu; to discuss these challenges and collectively agreed to start a community inclusive day care for their children.
MWANANGU DEVELOPMENT TANZANIA (MWADETA)
Why We Exist
Hydrocephalus and spina bifida remain major causes of disability and preventable death in Tanzania. Many families:
- Travel long distances to access neurosurgical care
- Cannot afford essential medical devices such as VP shunts and catheters
- Lack access to trained healthcare providers at district level
- Face stigma and exclusion in schools and communities
- Have limited awareness about prevention through folic acid and fortified foods
