Our Reception Home (RH) in Dar es Salaam is the first point of contact for all children encountering Malaika Kids. It serves as the main office, the base for our Relatives Support Programme outreach workers, and houses all the children referred to us by the Welfare Department.
At present we have eighteen children living in our cramped Reception Home in three big bedrooms, all furnished with bunk beds. In addition, nine young adults live in rented accommodation nearby, most of whom are near to completion of apprenticeship and college courses. They live independently and all go to eat in the Reception Home in the evenings.
On weekdays the day starts at 5 am for the older children. After breakfast they make their way to their colleges. Currently, we have six younger children who are staying with us. The Welfare Department has sent them to us while their cases are considered, sometimes in the courts, sometimes by Welfare themselves who will be looking for permanent accommodation with suitable relatives. After a time, if no safe family option is found, we will transfer the child to the Children’s Village in Mkuranga.When Najma, the CEO, and Shezan, the office manager, arrive at the Reception Home the first thing they do is have a short meeting with all the staff to get updates from the night before. For example:
  • Has any student returned home very late? To be discouraged.
  • Is anyone not helping sufficiently with the daily chores? Najma will have a quiet word.
  • Is any child worried and not sleeping properly? The two mamas will investigate further.
Much happens during the day. We run the Relative Support Programme (RSP) from the RH base. Two mamas, Amina and Hadija, visit the 100 children we support on a rotating basis to check on their progress both at home and school. They then return to the RH for their supper.Twice a month, food and educational packages are prepared and distributed from the RH to the RSP families. The bank must be visited once a month – and I can attest to the fact that this can take several hours! Food needs to be purchased weekly and payments made to different suppliers, including the colleges where the children are studying. In addition, the monthly payroll for all our staff must be prepared and the monthly transfer from Malaika Kids UK or Malaika Kids Netherlands must be organised smoothly. Members of the management team meet with schools and colleges to better understand where the older children can thrive best and discuss the progress of those that are currently attending. Good career advice is a key priority for us. Supper is served every night at around 7:30 pm and all are invited, including those in rented accommodation. This is a chance to discuss their own news of the day as well as the National News, which is on the TV from 6 pm to 7 pm. The younger children then go to bed while the older ones revise and do homework. Those studying the same course help each other before going to bed at 10 pm. At the weekend the children have a lie-in – not expected to be up until 6 am! They have a bigger, more relaxed breakfast of homemade chapatti or mandazi (a type of doughnut). Then they do some exercises, wash their clothes, and play some sports.
If it is raining or very hot outside, games such as chess, Connect and Jenga are popular inside, although there is not a lot of space. The older children in particular love to play football in the patch of bare land opposite the Reception Home.
As you can see <<First Name>>, this is a complex operation managed with both efficiency and compassion by all involved. We are so grateful to Najma and Shezan. Enormous thanks too to Ramadhan, our Social Worker, the two RH mamas Asha and Neema, Halidi the security guard and of course the two Relative Support Programme mamas Amina and Hadija.With best wishes
Alan signature
Alan Edwards Malaika Kids UK Chair

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