Tanzania has long attracted attention for a variety of reasons … its geography (Mt. Kilimanjaro’s snow-capped summit is the highest on the continent while Lake Tanganyika boasts the lowest spot with a depth of over 1000 feet), the abundance of wildlife and their migrations across vast expanses of the Serengeti, and the silver white sand beaches of Zanzibar Island.   DNA lineages found in Tanzania are among the oldest anywhere on earth, making the country a strong contender for distinction as the “cradle of humanity.”   It is the only African country boasting indigenous inhabitants from all the continent’s main ethnolinguistic families (Bantu, Nilo-Hamitic, Cushitic, and Khoisan).

Tanzania’s social and political transformations have been gentle compared to other countries in Africa.  Since independence in 1961, significant progress has been made in social services, though problems in the country’s economic development have kept Tanzania’s political and economical goals from full realization.  Much of daily life is shaped by the struggle to make ends meet.  Family life is central and there’s a strong, polite social code.  Visitors are greeted warmly, especially in rural areas. Tanzania is one of the least urbanized countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

There are areas of need across the globe, but at Tutaweza we believe in starting with what you know.  Following this principle, the nexus of our operations lies in the tiny Tanzanian town of Vwawa, in the Southwest of the country near the important trading city of Mbeya.  Feel free to explore the area using the map below.