Upendo Mmoja was established back in 2012 when the Upendo Men’s Carpentry Group and the Upendo Women’s Craft Group of Pommerin, Tanzania wanted to provide better opportunities for their children and the youth of the community. Upendo Mmoja means ‘One Love’ in Kiswahilli, so it was fitting we chose this name since two separate groups joined together to achieve shared goals. Together we decided to build a Residential and Vocational Training Center that would house orphaned youth. Members of Upendo wanted to educate the youth at the Center by teaching them vocational skills such as carpentry, cooking, animal husbandry, and sewing. This government-recognized Tanzanian NGO is the first of its kind, and has become an organizational cooperative model for other neighboring villages!

Since 2014, members of Upendo have worked alongside volunteers form Norwich University and other volunteer groups to complete the Center and make this dream a reality. In 2015, we achieved just that and accepted 18 children at the Center! Since then, the dream has grown and we are working to create a campus complete with the Center, a teaching kitchen, carpentry and craft workshop, barn, boys dormitory and a sunflower oil facility.