Developing Adolescents through Vocation and Education

Why is there a need for The D.A.V.E. Project?

When we first came to Tanzania and saw the need for an Orphanage for Babies - we also saw a need for a Centre to help Orphan Teenagers. Visiting other orphanages in Tanzania - we often witnessed that the 'middle aged' children (between 5 and 12 years old) were generally doing fine. They were well fed, educated in school and generally being well cared for.

In these same Orphanages - we witnessed that the oldest and youngest children were not being so well cared for. We saw many examples of young babies being neglected and underfed - often due to financial reasons - and we also saw so many cases of older children in orphanages getting into trouble, failing at school and because of this, having bleak futures.

Statistically, most orphan children do not tend to do very well in school. They often start education late, having never attended school until they go to live in an Orphanage. Once there, they are generally sent to poor schools, with big class sizes, where the educational standard is very low, and they do not receive the support from 'home' they need in order to succeed.

From what we have witnessed - most orphan children are not passing Primary School and are certainly not passing Secondary School. This leaves them with very bleak futures - especially with no family network to support them, which is so essential in African Culture.

The Orphanages in Tanzania are all struggling with too many children, not enough money and very few solutions to this 'teenage' problem.

Statistics show that many of these teenagers end up leaving their Orphanages with no prospects - they often do not get work and frequently end up living back on the streets or in dire poverty.

At Forever Angels we want to give some of these Teenagers a chance at a future. We want to build on their education and teach them skills so that they are able to gain employment in the future and make a life for themselves.

What Skills does the D.A.V.E. Project Teach?

Right now we have 7 Teenagers currently in Training.

The girls have English Lessons every day and are trained in cooking, cleaning, Preschool Teaching, Special Educational Needs, Sewing and in basic Child Care.

The boys also have English Lessons every day and are being trained in carpentry, electrics, plumbing, boat building and general Baby Home maintenance.

Through their training programme at Forever Angels, they receive certificates in Child Care, First Aid, Cooking, HIV and a whole range of other skills - which will definitely give them a huge advantage when it comes to applying for jobs in the future.

These young people range in age from 15 to 19 and although at times I wonder why I have taken on responsibility for so many 'teenagers' - they are generally amazing! They work hard, are mature and polite and if they achieve anything like what Mwanaidi and Neema did, (our first D.A.V.E. Trainees) did - I think we will have succeeded in our goal.

And the Future of D.A.V.E?

Right now - we are not sure what the future of the D.A.V.E. Project is or just how big it will grow. The Baby Home was meant to care for 20 babies and right now we have 50!

The need and desperation in Tanzania is great and worsening every day. To 'save' children in this way - to give them a chance at building a successful future for themselves - is a great gift...so who knows how the D.A.V.E. Project will develop.

I know that my Dad, Dave Lithgow, had passionate dreams of expanding this training programme out of the 'Baby Home Arena' and hoped to eventually be supporting Teenage Orphans in all sorts of Apprenticeship Training Projects such as Carpentry, Electrics, Plumbing, Mechanics, Boat Building and IT.

Right now - we are happy with our small number of D.A.V.E. Trainees - but if this continues to prove successful, who knows how many more Teenage Orphans we will be helping in the future?

If you would like to help support us in our D.A.V.E. Project - through funding accommodation, food or training for these young people - please make a donation here.

In Loving Memory

The idea behind D.A.V.E. is not a new one within Forever Angels - but we have decided to 're-launch' this branch of Forever Angels with a new name.

The D.A.V.E. Project is named in memory of my Dad - Dave Lithgow - who tragically and suddenly died in Tanzania in December 2008.

Dave Lithgow was a HUGE part of Forever Angels - he was one of the most active members of our UK Trustees, had visited the Baby Home many times, was involved in planning, coordinating and building many of our extensions and projects and he had even moved out to Tanzania to live - to become a bigger part of Forever Angels Baby Home and to help us develop even further.

Dave had big ideas and far reaching dreams of not only serving the needy babies in Tanzania through the Baby Home, but also in supporting the needy teenage orphans through vocational and education programmes.

Sadly, Dave's life was cut short before he could see these dreams fulfilled - but his memory lives on in so many ways and I hope that the DAVE Project will be as successful as he had envisaged.

"Dad - the D.A.V.E. Project will get bigger and better over time - I promise. We will work hard to train and educate these young adults so that they have the ability to create a fulfilling and happy future for themselves. Thank you for always believing in Forever Angels and for always striving to make it bigger and better so that so many more disadvantaged children in Tanzania can be helped. I hope that The D.A.V.E. Project will make you proud - as this work is all carried out in your memory. We love you and miss you - so much."