Tanzania Development Trust

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Tanzania Development Trust

We are a charity that supports projects in Tanzania. We are all volunteers who know the country well. No salaries are paid and we have no offices.

🌍 Empowering Rural Tanzania Since 1975 🌍

We support grassroots projects that provide clean water, education, and income opportunities in rural Tanzania. 100% of donations go directly to local initiatives!

💙 Join us in making a difference! 💙 When we visit projects we all pay our own expenses. In fact, EVERY PENNY THAT WE RECEIVE IS SPENT ON PROJECTS.

13/10/2026

💬 Testimonial Tuesday

A dream come true for Lowe village! 💧🇹🇿

The TDT funded borehole in Lowe has now been dug under the supervision of Local Representative Edigar, and the excitement is clear for all to see. For this village, it marks a major milestone: access to clean water for the very first time.

Here’s what Edigar shared about this special moment:

💦💙 “A DREAM COME TRUE!” 💙💦

“I, together with the people of Lowe, am incredibly grateful to celebrate this precious gift of water. Today, we are witnessing the joy of water flowing from our borehole, a moment we have prayed and worked for.

A heartfelt thank you to Tanzania Development Trust (TDT) for believing in us, supporting this project, and helping bring clean and safe water closer to the people of Lowe.

This is more than water. It is hope, dignity, better health, and a brighter future for our community.

Thank you, TDT, for being part of this life changing journey. 🙏💦❤️”

Moments like this remind us what access to clean water really means. It’s not just about a new water source, but about the difference it can make to everyday life, health and opportunity.

A huge hongera to the people of Lowe, and thank you to everyone whose support helps make projects like this possible. 👏💙

25/09/2026

🌍 Field Friday

We’re pleased to confirm that the grant is now in place for the spring improvement project in Mkima village, following the project’s approval in June. 💧

This is a useful example of the two stages in TDT’s project funding process.

First, we assess and approve the project itself. Once the necessary checks are completed and the funds have been raised, the grant is approved and the project can proceed.

The TZS 4,674,000 grant, approximately £1,300, will help to:

💧 Protect the village’s natural spring from contamination, particularly during the rainy season
🌱 Improve drainage around the water source
🚰 Install outlet pipes for safer and more reliable access to clean water

More than 2,600 people are expected to benefit from the project, working out at roughly 50p per person for a safer and more reliable water supply.

Another practical, community led project addressing a basic need and making a relatively small investment go a long way. 🇹🇿

24/09/2026

⏪ Throwback Thursday

We’re always pleased to hear how TDT funded projects are progressing years after the work is complete. 💛

In 2021, TDT supported the refurbishment of the girls’ hostel at Chikuyu Secondary School in Singida. At the time, 92 girls were living in a deteriorating building and sleeping on floor mats.

The refurbishment addressed crumbling walls, failing electrics and badly needed improvements to the toilets. Alongside improvements to the school’s water supply, the project created much better conditions for girls living at the school. 🏠💧

Four years on, the school has continued to grow:

👧 110 girls now use the hostel
🏫 More than 1,000 students attend the school
📚 12 students achieved Division I in the 2025 Form Four examinations
🎓 26 students achieved Division II

The Headteacher has reported a steady improvement in examination results, attributing some of this progress to the fact that all Form Four students were able to live at school with a reliable water supply.

It’s particularly rewarding to see the benefits of a project continuing well beyond its completion, creating better conditions for girls to live, learn and succeed. 🇹🇿

23/09/2026

💡 Wisdom Wednesday

Sometimes, good development means asking whether the proposed solution is actually enough.

We’re pleased to announce the approval of a new water project at Maratani Secondary School in Mtwara Region, where a 100,000 litre rainwater harvesting tank will provide a more reliable water supply for 302 students and teachers. 💧

At present, students and teachers walk 1.5km to a seasonal spring to collect water, with the distance increasing to 2km during the dry season. At times, the school has to buy water from local vendors, making access both difficult and expensive.

The original proposal was for a 50,000 litre tank. However, after assessing the school’s needs, TDT determined that this would not provide enough capacity and increased the project to 100,000 litres.

Our Local Representative Godfrey Makenzie visited the school and described the need to Project Officer Kevin Curley CBE as severe.

It’s a good example of the careful assessment behind TDT projects. We don’t simply approve the first request we receive. We look at the local circumstances, understand the scale of the need and work towards a solution that is appropriate for the community.

Because getting the right solution matters. 🇹🇿

21/09/2026

🎯 Mission Monday

We’re delighted to announce that TDT has been awarded a £5,000 grant from the Coles-Medlock Foundation to support our work with Tumaini Open School in Tabora. 🇹🇿

Tumaini provides a second chance for young mothers to continue their education, helping them gain qualifications while balancing the responsibilities of family life. 🎓

The school is also part of the Girls Education Collaborative, working to bring social change through the transformational power of girls’ education and the fight for global gender equity.

TDT has been supporting practical improvements at Tumaini since 2020. Most recently, two large concrete tanks were completed to harvest and store rainwater, helping the school manage unreliable water supplies and maintain better sanitation and hygiene throughout the year. 💧

This is exactly the kind of community-led work we are proud to support: removing practical barriers to education and giving young people the opportunity to shape their own futures.

A huge thank you to the Coles-Medlock Foundation for helping make this work possible, and to our Fundraising Officer Sheila Farrell for handling the application. 👏

18/09/2026

🌍 Field Friday

A year on, we’re delighted to share the results from the WAMI Agritija project in Mang’onyi Village, Singida, where TDT supported 23 young women to build a sustainable farming business through organic agriculture. 🌱

With around £2,500 in TDT support, the group established a 5 acre farm with a pump and drip irrigation, alongside practical training in onion cultivation and organic farming.

And the results are already impressive:

🧅 93 bags of onions harvested
🍅 100 crates of tomatoes produced
💰 TZS 25.6 million in total sales
👩🏾‍🌾 TZS 600,000, around £170, paid to each of the 23 members as a dividend
🌱 Remaining income reinvested into the farm for continued production

The project was expertly guided by Project Officer Freda Rockliffe and Local Representative Hamza Rajabu.

Just one year on, this project is demonstrating what can be achieved when practical agricultural skills, shared investment and good farming practices come together. The women are building an income source that can create lasting opportunities for themselves and their families. 💛

17/09/2026

⏪ Throwback Thursday

We love hearing what happens to a project long after the work is complete. 💛

Back in 2019, TDT supported the completion of a girls’ hostel and installation of electricity at Kaseke Secondary School, with a grant of approximately £5,000.

At the time, the hostel was intended to provide girls with a safer place to live while attending school. Before it was built, some girls had to walk long distances to school, including crossing rivers early in the morning, while others faced harassment from young men on their journey.

According to the Headteacher, the hostel has made a significant difference:

🏠 More girls can live safely at school
📚 Attendance has improved
🎓 More girls are completing their education
👩🏾‍🎓 The school has attracted new and transfer students
📈 For the past four years, no student has received a zero grade, with all students passing their examinations

It’s a great example of how a relatively simple investment can have an impact that reaches far beyond the original project.

Six years on, we’re delighted to see the hostel continuing to support girls’ education and safety at Kaseke Secondary School. 🇹🇿

16/09/2026

💡 Wisdom Wednesday

Our latest Tanzania Development Trust newsletter is out! 📰🇹🇿

This month, we’re sharing updates on:

🌱 The challenges facing TDT and how we’re responding
🎓 A new grant supporting girls’ education
📊 Our 2026 Annual Report and what we’ve achieved together
🌍 The latest news and updates from projects across Tanzania

From education and community development to the realities of supporting grassroots projects, there’s plenty to catch up on.

Read the latest newsletter and stay up to date with what’s happening across TDT and our partner communities in Tanzania. 💛 Here: https://mailchi.mp/bba735666630/moving-into-autumn-challenges-ahead-for-tdt

15/09/2026

💬 Testimonial Tuesday

We recently received this wonderful update from TDT Local Representative Robert Kasaaju about the water supply project at Kalema Secondary School in Bukoba. 💧

“I am very happy to inform you that Kalema secondary school has been successful to get water by gravitation from water source up near the school, then using a pump to pump up to school from a underground plastic tank of ten thousand litres. Now the school can supply water to some areas of the school, like kitchen, toilets and vegetable garden.”

Hongera sana! 👏👏🇹🇿

The new water supply is already making a practical difference, providing water for the school kitchen, toilets and vegetable garden.

These are the updates that make it all worthwhile. Knowing that your kind donations are helping to create real and lasting improvements for students and communities across Tanzania. 💛

04/09/2026

🌍 Field Friday

We’re pleased to share the approval of a new project at Muhalala Secondary School near Manyoni, where 40 double bunk beds and mattresses will provide a much needed improvement to the girls’ hostel. 🛏️

At present, girls sleep on mats on the floor, leaving them with little comfort, dignity or protection from rodents. The new beds will provide a safer and more comfortable place to sleep, particularly for students preparing for their Form 2 and Form 4 examinations. 📚

📍 Muhalala Secondary School, Manyoni
🛏️ 40 double bunk beds and mattresses
💰 Cost: TZS 10.2 million, approximately £2,800

The project was recommended by TDT Local Representative Wilhard Titus and will be managed by Project Officer Kevin Curley CBE.

It’s a simple but important improvement that will help create better conditions for girls to live, learn and succeed at school. 💛

Another practical step towards supporting girls to stay in school and reach their potential.

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http://www.tanzdevtrust.org/

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