Street Shepherds’ life story like any good story is filled with challenges, successes, tragedy, love, and great hope. Unofficially SSA’s story began in 2002 at UNICEF’s Headquarters in Dar es salaam when Senais Joseph with other Children’s rights activists initiated a forum under supervision of UNICEF – Dar to address the challenges faced by children in vulnerable environments on the streets and the neighborhoods of Dar es salaam by helping them air such challenges to the government and the surrounding society. Though busy with school he always managed to attend the forums and volunteer with the Dogodogo centre for orphaned and street children in Dar. The general state of despair among many Orphanages he visited and worked with, the women who struggled to care for over hundred children under the age of five, and the sweet children who called the orphanages their homes struck a deep chord with Senais.
With great passion in caring for poor and less fortunate children that grew out of spending time with street children and at Dogodogo centre for orphaned and abandoned children in Dar, Senais moved to Arusha for High school at Ilboru High School and met the Young Life Africa, an Arizona based organization dedicated to saving and helping children and youths living in vulnerable environments in Tanzania. With Young life Africa he managed to help a number of Street children in Arusha leading to changing and inspiring hundreds of youths starting with Unga Limited, an area that had many desperate children due to drugs, prostitution resulting from extreme poverty in the area. It was from this point he realized that you don’t have to have much to help others but a caring and loving heart.
What began with a plea to family and friends to visit and help children in orphanages and children centres while in Dar es salaam, Arusha and Iringa lead to growth of the Street Shepherds Africa, A Non Profit Organization devoted to fighting against all forms of injustice towards children and investing in children via the power of education for empowered Africa
Street Shepherds Africa was officially incorporated in 2012 and managed to initiate Malaika House Montessori school in Moshi supporting children from poor families have access to quality education.
With over one million orphaned and abandoned children in Tanzania, and a staggering number, most orphanages lack the ability and resources to care for children over age of five. As a result of these challenges, a lot of children age out of their orphanages and are pushed to live on the streets on reaching their 5th birthdays
Born out of a vision to fight against child abandonment, illiteracy, homelessness abuse and brutality, Street Shepherds Africa also partners with a number of orphanages and private boarding schools, companies, and non Profit organizations to address challenges faced by orphanages, children centres and schools as well as supporting the children in need and living in vulnerable environments in our community.