ST. Marks Children’s Home & Orphanage
Saint Marks Children’s Home & Orphanage provides a safe, nurturing sanctuary and education for over 200 children from the Arusha Province of Tanzania. Founded in 1983 by missionaries from the United Kingdom, the Marks mission was to provide a sanctuary and loving environment to children who otherwise would have nothing. Although the Marks have passed, their vision still lives on through their adopted son, Robert Marks Moshi.
Saint Marks primarily serves the Maasai community. The Maasai tribe are nomadic herdsmen of Tanzania and Kenya who have in large part maintained their historic culture. Director Moshi is also Maasai and most of the children of Saint Marks originate from the same place as his birth, which is the Ngorongoro Crater region of Tanzania. The orphans of this area hold a special place in his heart, as he was once one of them.
The reason there is a high number of orphans in the Maasai community is because of the high number of maternal deaths during childbirth. Although now illegal in Tanzania, many Maasai girls still get married when they reach puberty before their bodies are ready for child-bearing. Other reasons for high maternal mortality include female genital mutilation, malaria, and HIV/Aids-related infections. Saint Marks Children’s Home & Orphanage is well-staffed and managed. The home has a capacity to support up to 200 children through its main housing complex, three off-site boarding centers, and farmland for raising crops. It is currently slightly over capacity.
PRIMARY AREAS OF NEED:
Post Pandemic Relief.
The pandemic created food insecurity and crisis for Saint Marks Orphanage and continues to cause hardship. The primary revenue for operating the orphanage comes through Director Moshi’s salary as a safari guide. Tourism is gradually returning to Tanzania, but it has been slow getting back to pre-pandemic levels. While Dr. Moshi’s salary, which was absent in 2020 and 2021, is still very small, the needs of the 207 children residing there remains the same. The orphanage is forced to operate on a cycle of high interest bank loans. Philanthropic donations have helped to manage daily operating needs.Tuition
We believe that every child of Saint Marks should have a quality education with English as the primary language so that they are competitive in the regional and global market. However, with approximately 100 school aged children, access to quality education is logistically challenging and incredibly expensive. While most children at Saint Marks have access to public primary schools, they are substandard with high student to teacher ratios and offering only Swahili as the language of instruction until the age of 13. Even these public schools are not free, requiring boarding, uniform and school supply fees. When boarding away for the school, the children not only receive their educational benefits but receive wholesome meals and clean drinking water. As funds are available, the students who qualify with high test scores are sent to the more expensive English medium schools. Tuition ranges from ~$400 USD per year for public school to $3000 per year for English medium schools.Infrastructure development.
Since 2020, the highest priority needs continue to be with pandemic relief and tuition, however, there are also basic needs for capital construction, ie., bricks and mortar. Some of these underway include the following:a) Dormatories. In 2020, the April rains created foundational damage to the boys dormitory. Later that same year, the same occurred with the girls dormatories. Dr. Moshi was able to secure a loan to build a building shell and install a roof, however, funds are still needed to install drywall, windows and refurnish.
Together, our hands can help one child at a time. And with the help from you, our hands are even stronger.
