African Orphans' Fund

About Our Organization

The African Orphans' Fund is an organization dedicated to empower children orphaned by HIV/AIDS, war and disease in sub-Saharan Africa. As a community-oriented organization, AOF is also dedicated to providing assistance and support for the orphans’ extended families and communities.

We are working to establish long-term solutions through affordable education, health clinics, housing, clean water, food and school supplies. We are also working to eradicate poverty through sustainable projects that will assist children to become independent, skillful, self confident, and educated individuals. AOF accomplishes these goals by providing children with useful basic skills regarding their traditions, culture, customs, values, and music.

Our purpose is to thoroughly and accurately document the orphans of Tanzania through comprehensive accounts of such children, their way of life, challenges they face, the circumstances that have led to the state of the orphan condition in Tanzania, and the future of the orphan population. We commit to the development of an early childhood education program at both local schools and traditional community centers.

Our volunteers are dedicated, motivated, and self-sufficient individuals committed to making a difference in the life of a child. We represent the voice of the orphan population and advocate for changes that will provide support, stability, education and the benefit of cultural exchange for each child, and by extension, their community.

About Our President

Essau P. Pwelle was born October 25, 1971 in Yenzebwe Village, Tanzania. Yenzebwe is located in the Ileje District, Mbeya region of Tanzania with a population of fewer than 100 people. Pwelle comes from a family of 9 children (2 brothers and 6 sisters). He grew up with an income of under $150 per year. As the first born child, he played big role to raise his brother and sisters. After seven years of study, he received his elementary certification in 1988. Pwelle left Tanzania in 1990 and traveled to the neighboring country Zambia to further his education in a local secondary school. Unfortunately, due to minimal funds and resources at his convenience, Pwelle was not able to continue his education. He then returned to his home village in Tanzania in 1991.  In 1993 he was employed as a radio call operator, and as a gardener at Blandt Lutheran Mission in Chimala, Tanzania. To list few, Pwelle has managed, and operated several local owned photographic safaris in Tanzania for more than eight years, after completing a one year course in hospitality and tourism management. Pwelle fluently speaks six languages, all of which part of Bantu ethnic group of Africa, and he has visited more than seven countries in Africa. In 2002 he was invited to the United Kingdom by Dr. Challoner's High School for Girls to sign up a three year agreement to arrange, and  lead student groups in Tanzania between the age 14-18 who visited Tanzania as part of their cultural and students exchange program. While residing in the United States, he has been involved in activities regarding HIV/Aids issues, human rights, as an advocate for women, and children rights In East Africa. In 2005 he participated at International Children Passport Literature organized by the University of District Of Colombia representing Tanzania. In January 2007 Pwelle translated more than 120 questionnaires from English to Kiswahili (Swahili), and reversed the questionnaire for the World Social Forum for University of California Riverside held in Kenya. He has guided and lead trips for students and professors to both the Zanzibar Islands and Tanzania National Parks. Pwelle has a pending certification/degree in hospitality, travel and tourism profession from Penn Foster College. Recently Essau Pwelle has enrolled at www.exponents.org in New York to become a certified counselor on drug abuse, alcoholism, and on hiv/aids issue soon he completes the course. He also joined an outreach program in the same field.

About Our Volunteers

The Tanzanian Community Education Coordinator is responsible for carrying out a comprehensive program of community outreach and social developmental support and educational services for local orphans. Our primary focus is to develop an early childhood education program at both the orphan's local schools and traditional community centers.  We are also working to develop methods, through various research, that would  thoroughly and accurately document the orphans of Tanzania through a comprehensive account of such children, their way of life, challenges they face, the circumstances that have led to the state of the orphan condition in Tanzania and the future of the orphan population.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• To assist caregivers or extended families to provide care for an orphan child that has lost one or both parents.
• To develop early childhood education programs that will lead orphans to become aware of African traditions, culture, and customs. 
• To create sturdy, sustainable projects that will provide basic needs and supplies to support orphan’s daily life.
• To help locate extended families that are associated with orphans and aid them financially.
• To provide assistance with transportation, escorting and basic household chores for orphans and their extended families.
• To assist with reading and other educational needs.
• To aid in participation in any sports that are associated with the children's traditional background, including arts, dancing and building traditional instruments or toys.

Would you like to volunteer?

These are three positions in the U.S. for overseeing sub Saharan Africa projects: (1) Permanent Secretary;  (2) Programs and Events Coordinator; (3) Entry level Accountant/Treasurer.