Karimu International Help Foundation

THE ORGANIZATION AIMS TO PROVIDE FUNDS FOR, AND HELP EXECUTE, COMPLETION OF SCHOOLS AND OTHER COMMUNITY PROJECTS ENHANCING THE WELL-BEING OF RURAL VILLAGES IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD.

KARIMUS RELATIONSHIP TO KAHESO: IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, KARIMU'S FUNDRAISING CAPACITY HAS GROWN EXPONENTIALLY. THIS HAS ENABLED KARIMU TO ACHIEVE FAR MORE IN THE WAY OF SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION AND RECONSTRUCTION, MEDICAL CLINIC CONSTRUCTION, AND PROVISION OF CLEAN WATER FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THE VILLAGES WHERE WE WORK, IN A REMOTE PART OF THE BABATI DISTRICT, IN THE MANYARA REGION OF NORTHERN TANZANIA. BUT THE HEAVIER WORKLOAD ALSO RENDERED KARIMU'S ORIGINAL MODEL, CONCEIVED AT THE TIME OF ITS 2008 FOUNDING, UNFEASIBLE. KARIMU COULD NOT MANAGE A LARGE NUMBER OF LARGE-SCALE PROJECTS BY SENDING TWENTY OR THIRTY (MOSTLY AMERICAN) VOLUNTEERS TO THE VILLAGES FOR TWO WEEKS EVERY YEAR, IN ORDER TO HELP WITH AND CHECK ON THE WORK DONE BY TANZANIAN BUILDERS HIRED AND SUPERVISED ON KARIMU'S BEHALF BY TWO TANZANIAN VOLUNTEERS. KARIMU THEREFORE ON MARACH 27, 2018 ESTABLISHED KARIMU HEART AND SPIRIT ORGANIZATION (KAHESO) WITHIN TANZANIA AND QUALIFIED IT AS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION (AN NGO) REGISTERED WITH THE TANZANIAN GOVERNMENT AND DIRECTED BY AN ALL-TANZANIAN VOLUNTEER BOARD. THE KAHESO STAFF NOW CONSISTS OF SEVEN FULL-TIME TANZANIAN EMPLOYEES. (THERE HAD BEEN EIGHT, PRIOR TO THE UNTIMELY DEATH IN JANUARY OF OUR MOST SENIOR EMPLOYEE, WHOM WE HAVE NOT YET SUCCEEDED IN REPLACING.) ONE EMPLOYEE MANAGES THE OTHERS, EACH OF WHOM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERSEEING OUR WORK IN A DISTINCT AREA: WE HAVE, E.G., ONE EMPLOYEE WHO OVERSEES CONSTRUCTION, ONE WHO OVERSEES THE OPERATIONS OF MEDICAL CLINICS, ONE WHO OVERSEES SCHOOL OPERATIONS, ETC. DONATIONS BY KARIMU NOW TAKE THE FORM OF PAYMENTS TO KAHESO, AN ENTITY THAT IS LEGALLY SEPARATE FROM KARIMU. KARIMU DOES NOT POSSESS ANY LEGAL INTEREST IN THE KAHESO BANK ACCOUNT, NOR DOES KARIMU HAVE LEGAL CONTROL OVER THE MONEY THAT IT WIRES TO KAHESO. EXPENDITURE BY KAHESO OF KARIMU FUNDS IN ACCORDANCE WITH KARIMU'S INTENTIONS (AND THE INTENTIONS OF THOSE TANZANIAN CITIZENS WHOM KARIMU WISHES TO SERVE) IS DEPENDENT ON KAHESO'S UNDERSTANDING THAT THE RECEIPT OF SUBSEQUENT DONATIONS WILL DEMAND THAT KAHESO ACT IN GOOD FAITH.PAYMENTS TO KAHESO ENABLE PAYMENT OF THE KAHESO EMPLOYEES' SALARIES, WHICH ARE FAIR BY TANZANIAN STANDARDS. HOWEVER, SINCE THESE SALARIES ARE POOR BY AMERICAN STANDARDS, THE GREAT BULK OF KARIMU FUNDS DONATED TO KAHESO GOES TOWARD BUILDING OR IMPROVING SCHOOLS, MEDICAL CLINICS, AND CLEAN-WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE VILLAGES. KARIMU'S WORKFORCE OUTSIDE OF TANZANIA REMAINS ALL-VOLUNTEER. OUR CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, WHO LIVES IN SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, COORDINATES THE EFFORTS OF SEVERAL DOZEN VOLUNTEERS (IN MOST CASES PAST BUSINESS ASSOCIATES OF THE COO, KNOWN TO HIM FROM HIS TIME AS A GOOGLE VICE PRESIDENT) LIVING MAINLY IN THE UNITED STATES, BRAZIL, ENGLAND, AND GERMANY. THESE VOLUNTEERS ADVISE THE KAHESO EMPLOYEES. SOME OF THE VOLUNTEERS ALSO HELP OUR COO TRACK EXPENSES, SINCE WE AT KARIMU BELIEVE THAT BY KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON COSTS AND BY MAINTAINING AN ALL-VOLUNTEER NON-TANZANIAN WORKFORCE, WE CAN EXTRACT, ON BEHALF OF THE VILLAGERS WE SERVE, THE MAXIMUM POSSIBLE VALUE FROM THE DONATIONS WE RECEIVE. ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2021:KARIMU'S WORK DURING 2021 IS DETAILED ON OUR WEBSITE AT HTTPS://WWW.KARIMUFOUNDATION.ORG/OUR-PROJECTS/CURRENT/, BUT SOME OF THE MORE NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE:CONSTRUCTION OF A POWER HOUSE FROM WHICH ALL POWER TO AYALAGAYA SECONDARY SCHOOL FACILITIES (EXCLUDING THE KARIMU-BUILT TEACHERS HOUSES) WILL BE CONTROLLED, WITH ALL CIRCUITS UNDER A LOCK, PRIMARY ON/OFF SWITCH, CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL, BREAKERS AND GROUNDING, TRENCHING FOR CABLES, AND UNDERGROUND CABLING FROM ALL SCHOOL BUILDINGS TO THE POWER HOUSE, THEREBY INCREASING SAFETY.PARTIAL CONSTRUCTION (TO BE COMPLETED IN 2022) OF MODERN HOUSING BUILT IN ORDER TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN SKILLED DOCTORS AND NURSES FOR THE KARIMU-BUILT MEDICAL DISPENSARY IN GAJAL VILLAGE, SINCE DOCTORS AND NURSES WILL NOT ACCEPT THE DWELLINGS USED BY MOST RESIDENTS OF THE AREA, WHICH ARE MADE OUT OF STICKS AND MUD WITH STRAW ROOFS, NO RUNNING WATER, AND NO ELECTRICITY. ALMOST COMPLETED DURING 2021, WITH ONLY FINISHING TOUCHES REMAINING TO BE ADDED BY THE BEGINNING OF 2022, WERE SEPARATE BOYSX AND GIRLS' HOSTELS FOR AYALAGAYA SECONDARY SCHOOL. THE TANZANIAN GOVERNMENT REQUIRES CHILDREN WHO ARE PREPARING FOR THE NATIONAL EXAM AT THE END OF MIDDLE SCHOOL TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES AND LIVE AT SCHOOL SO THEY CAN BE FREE FROM HOUSEHOLD OBLIGATIONS AND FOCUS ON THEIR STUDIES. YET MOST TANZANIAN MIDDLE SCHOOLS LACK THE RESOURCES TO PROVIDE FACILITIES FOR OVERNIGHTING. PRIOR TO KARIMU'S CONSTRUCTION OF THE AYALAGAYA SECONDARY SCHOOL HOSTELS, CHILDREN PREPARING FOR THE NATIONAL EXAM SLEPT ON THE CONCRETE FLOORS OF THEIR CLASSROOMS, USUALLY ON CARDBOARD SINCE ONLY A MINORITY OF PARENTS COULD AFFORD MATTRESSES FOR THEIR CHILDREN. MODERN BATHROOMS FOR AYALAGAYA SECONDARY SCHOOL'S TEACHERS WERE COMPLETED DURING 2021 (KARIMU HAVING BUILT MODERN BATHROOMS FOR THE STUDENTS IN 2018), REPLACING THE OLD DROP TOILETS THAT HAD BEEN HOUSED IN UNSIGHTLY AND UNSANITARY BUILDINGS WHICH LACKED RUNNING WATER.AT UFANI PRIMARY SCHOOL THE SAME UNSANITARY CONDITIONS NOTED ABOVE AT THE OLD BATHROOMS FOR AYALAGAYA SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS OBTAINED AT THE OLD BATHROOMS FOR BOTH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS. BUT DURING 2021, KARIMU COMPLETED MODERN BATHROOMS FOR THE UFANI PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS AND STUDENTS. AS WITH THE BOYSX AND GIRLS' HOSTELS FOR AYALAGAYA SECONDARY SCHOOL, AN OUTPATIENT BUILDING FOR THE KARIMU-BUILT MEDICAL DISPENSARY (PREVIOUSLY CONSISTING ONLY OF A MATERNITY WARD) IN DAREDA KATI VILLAGE WAS ALMOST COMPLETED DURING 2021, WITH ONLY FINISHING TOUCHES REMAINING TO BE ADDED BY THE BEGINNING OF 2022. TANZANIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS NOW REGARD THE FACILITY AS ADEQUATE TO SUPPORT MOST MEDICAL NEEDS OF AS MANY AS FIFTY THOUSAND PEOPLE, INHABITING AN AREA THAT EXTENDS WELL BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OF WHERE KARIMU HAS CONCENTRATED ITS WORK. THE DINING HALL (ACCOMMODATING SOME EIGHT HUNDRED CHILDREN) AND MODERN KITCHEN FACILITIES FOR AYALAGAYA SECONDARY SCHOOL HAD BEEN AT MOST HALF COMPLETED BY THE BEGINNING OF 2022, ACCORDING TO THE OBSERVATIONS BY KARIMU'S CO-FOUNDERS DURING THEIR VISIT TO TANZANIA THIS PAST JANUARY, BUT CONSTRUCTION WILL BE COMPLETED DURING 2022. THE DINING HALL CAN ALSO BE USED FOR SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES OR COMMUNITY SPECIAL OCCASIONS. IT IS THE FIRST SUCH INDOOR FACILITY IN THE AREA, WHERE SCHOOL CHILDREN HAVE ALWAYS BEEN EXPECTED TO EAT LUNCH OUTDOORS EVEN IN INCLEMENT WEATHER.