Capital: Dodoma
Area: 945,090 km²
Population: 36.8 million (Juli 2005 est.)
Ethnic groups: Bantu tribes, Asian, European and Arab minorities
Official language(s): Kiswahili and Swahili, English
Religion(s): Christians, Muslims, indigenous beliefs
Currency: 1 Tanzanian shilling = 100 cents

SOS Children's Villages' activities in the country

The work of SOS Children's Villages in Tanzania started in 1984. The then President of the island of Zanzibar, Ali Hassan Mwinyi, approached Hermann Gmeiner with the request that an SOS Children's Village should be built there. A government agreement was signed on 25 February 1987. The SOS Children's Village was constructed between 1988 and 1990 and the first families were able to move into the family houses in 1991. It is situated seven kilometres from the harbour town of Zanzibar. According to the law of nations, the island of Zanzibar is part of the Republic of Tanzania. However, the regional constitution of 1985 provides for a directly-elected president for Zanzibar and therefore, allows for a great amount of independent rule.

Because of this political independence, SOS Children's Villages also decided to work with two local legal bodies in Tanzania. Both the associations, "SOS Children's Villages Association Zanzibar" and the "SOS Children's Villages of Tanzania Trust" were officially registered in April 1997. The first SOS Children's Village and kindergarten in mainland Tanzania were built in Arusha, in the north of the country.

At present there are two SOS Children's Villages, one SOS Youth Facility, two SOS Kindergartens, two SOS Hermann Gmeiner Schools and one SOS Medical Centre in Tanzania.

Contact:
SOS Children's Village of Tanzania Trust
P.O. Box 80482
Dar es Salaam
Tanzania
tel. +255 713 753966
fax +255 22 2460528