Karimu Social Fund
Based on the success and visibility of Karimu and KAHESO within the Babati district and our prior help to district-wide clinics in support of COVID-19 prevention, several villages within the Babati district have come to Karimu requesting support for more projects. This creates a dilemma for us.
Karimu’s operating model and our success we believe is dependent on knowing the communities we serve well, developing trust with community members, and being fully engaged with the community in all aspects of the project. This is not possible with one-off projects. In addition, eliminating poverty requires working on all three pillars: health and sanitation, income and education, and financial services, not just one. Broadening our projects without our full engagement runs counter-strategic to our core mission and operational model.
However, our hearts go out to all communities in the district. To that end Karimu has decided to start a Karimu Social Fund which would support an annual request by the district government to support one or two projects within the district, but outside the wards in which we currently focus. The total funding will be limited to < 3% of annual fundraising of the general donation funds (those not targeted at a specific project). Karimu will consider requests for help only if:
- The need is urgent.
- The social fund for that year hasn’t been exhausted yet.
- The request is received by an official letter from the Director of the Babati District or another government official with a position higher than the director.
- Justification and proof of the emergency can be validated by the KAHESO staff.
Karimu will evaluate the request and officially respond to the government. We will only consider urgent requests if we haven’t exhausted the social fund for that year. Additionally, we will only support efforts where we work directly with the impacted communities, not through other agencies. We will not support emergencies requiring Karimu funds to flow to government officials. US regulations limit the flow of funds from US-based NGOs to government agencies and officials.
This will enable Karimu to provide help to other communities addressing on average 1 emergency per year.
Note that Karimu occasionally expands the scope of projects to neighboring communities when it is opportunistic and efficient to do so.
Here is a list of the projects supported by the social fund or supporting neighboring wards:
2023
- New Stoves for Dareda Mission Secondary and High School - a Karimu Social Fund project
- Exchange Student Housing in Babati - a Karimu Social Fund project
2022
- Maasai Water Harvesting - a Karimu Social Fund project
- Tuberculosis campaign extended awareness of the district campaign to neighboring wards
- Completion of the hostel for children with special needs will serve not only the children of Ayalagaya and Arri wards, but of the entire Babati district
- Completion of the student hostel at Dareda Mission Secondary & High School - a Karimu Social Fund project
2021
- Teacher housing for Boay Secondary School - a Karimu Social Fund project
- Donation of medication, equipment, and supplies to treat Covid-19 patients to the Regional Hospital in Babati
- Tuberculosis campaign extended awareness of the district campaign to neighboring wards
- Medical education on childhood illness provided education to doctors and nurses across Babati district
- Majengo Primary Subsidy - a Karimu Social Fund project
2020
- Response to the Coronavirus provided personal protective equipment and sanitation supplies to dispensaries and hospitals across the region
Karimu Social Fund
Based on the success and visibility of Karimu and KAHESO within the Babati district and our prior help to district-wide clinics in support of COVID-19 prevention, several villages within the Babati district have come to Karimu requesting support for more projects. This creates a dilemma for us.
Karimu’s operating model and our success we believe is dependent on knowing the communities we serve well, developing trust with community members, and being fully engaged with the community in all aspects of the project. This is not possible with one-off projects. In addition, eliminating poverty requires working on all three pillars: health and sanitation, income and education, and financial services, not just one. Broadening our projects without our full engagement runs counter-strategic to our core mission and operational model.
However, our hearts go out to all communities in the district. To that end Karimu has decided to start a Karimu Social Fund which would support an annual request by the district government to support one or two projects within the district, but outside the wards in which we currently focus. The total funding will be limited to < 3% of annual fundraising of the general donation funds (those not targeted at a specific project). Karimu will consider requests for help only if:
- The need is urgent.
- The social fund for that year hasn’t been exhausted yet.
- The request is received by an official letter from the Director of the Babati District or another government official with a position higher than the director.
- Justification and proof of the emergency can be validated by the KAHESO staff.
Karimu will evaluate the request and officially respond to the government. We will only consider urgent requests if we haven’t exhausted the social fund for that year. Additionally, we will only support efforts where we work directly with the impacted communities, not through other agencies. We will not support emergencies requiring Karimu funds to flow to government officials. US regulations limit the flow of funds from US-based NGOs to government agencies and officials.
This will enable Karimu to provide help to other communities addressing on average 1 emergency per year.
Note that Karimu occasionally expands the scope of projects to neighboring communities when it is opportunistic and efficient to do so.
Here is a list of the projects supported by the social fund or supporting neighboring wards:
2023
- New Stoves for Dareda Mission Secondary and High School - a Karimu Social Fund project
- Exchange Student Housing in Babati - a Karimu Social Fund project
2022
- Maasai Water Harvesting - a Karimu Social Fund project
- Tuberculosis campaign extended awareness of the district campaign to neighboring wards
- Completion of the hostel for children with special needs will serve not only the children of Ayalagaya and Arri wards, but of the entire Babati district
- Completion of the student hostel at Dareda Mission Secondary & High School - a Karimu Social Fund project
2021
- Teacher housing for Boay Secondary School - a Karimu Social Fund project
- Donation of medication, equipment, and supplies to treat Covid-19 patients to the Regional Hospital in Babati
- Tuberculosis campaign extended awareness of the district campaign to neighboring wards
- Medical education on childhood illness provided education to doctors and nurses across Babati district
- Majengo Primary Subsidy - a Karimu Social Fund project
2020
- Response to the Coronavirus provided personal protective equipment and sanitation supplies to dispensaries and hospitals across the region