Mkombozi
The boys are all from the Mkombozi Children’s Home which operates in the Moshi and Arusha areas of Tanzania. Mkombozi (meaning “liberator or emancipator” in Swahili) was founded in 1997 by Kate McAlpine in response to the visible needs of children on the streets in those areas. Mkombozi’s mission is to help vulnerable children and youth to grow in mind, body and spirit and to build a more caring society for all. The organisation has grown rapidly and now employs over 50 staff and helps to provide housing, education and to prevent children migrating to the streets in the first place. Mkombozi is the only NGO in Tanzania working with street children that is actively involving communities to prevent children from migrating to the streets in the first place. Since 1997 Mkombozi has assisted over 5,000 street and at risk children and young people to secure their right to safety and development.
Mkombozi use sports to promote the talents and confidence of children living on the streets and those in residential care centres. Not only does sport help these children to change their attitudes, as they build self esteem, but it also helps them to develop skills that will support them to become self reliant as young adults. Additionally rugby is a relatively new and not widely practiced sport in Tanzania. Street children at Mkombozi have been active as young players since 2001 and have even played in the Kilimanjaro Sevens. They act as advocates for the power of rugby in helping vulnerable children overcome their obstacles in their lives.
Very few of the boys comprising the Mkombozi team have two living parents and most have run away due to mistreatment at home.
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