Vision & Approach

Our vision is to have a self-reliant community that fosters its own successful and sustainable educational, health, social and financial well-being. 

Our approach is to help locals help themselves.  We provide them with skills, education and support that will enable them to find jobs and support their families.  We choose sustainable projects whose positive effects will trickle down to improve the welfare of the entire community.

Our Story

TAMIHA (TAnzanian MIllennium HAnds) Foundation is a non-profit, non-government organization (NGO) that was founded in 2007 by Crispin Mugarula and some of his closest friends. 

Crispin became an orphan himself at the age of 7 when he lost both parents in a car accident.  A kind old woman took Crispin in as her own son.  Because she was unable to work Crispin started working at a very young age to provide for himself and for the old woman.  Through hard work he was able to raise enough money to put himself through the public elementary school system.  Knowing education was his only path to escaping the cyclical poverty that he was born into he focused all his energy on school.  He excelled in every grade and gained entrance scholarships into high school and university. 

In university, Crispin focused on microfinance and poverty in the third world.  For his thesis he came to a town called Usa River where the community is particularly under-privileged and the rates of HIV are quite high.  After 6 months of community research, Crispin put a business plan together to start an NGO with sustainable projects that would help the community on a grass roots level.  Upon graduation Crispin moved his family to Usa River and put his business plan into action. 

Today he lives there with his wife and three children and overlooks 30 local staff, approximately 6-10 international volunteers and multiple community projects.  Since its start in 2007 approximately 160 members of the community have gone through TAMIHA’s training and/or orphanage programs. 

With our competent, passionate staff and volunteers we hope to expand our program to reach every member of the community in Usa River and neighboring towns.