We like to work with local communities.

Our Kesho Leo children's village will be managed and staffed by Tanzanians.

We are already employing and consulting with Tanzanians on the Kesho Leo project, with the aim of involving even more. Some of our start-up Tanzanian employees and advisors include:

Mudi Salim, 28, Kesho Leo Children's Village, Assistant Manager
Role: initially to help fws Building Foreman, Darren Stratti, to build Kesho Leo and then to help fws Vice President, Kelsey Wilson, and fws IT Manager, Ben Schwabe, run Kesho Leo.

"I am happy to be working with Food Water Shelter because it is an NGO that is coming to help Tanzanian society. We need help because we are a country that is developing, so we need assistance from developed countries like Australia, the UK and America. Food Water Shelter will help give food and a home to our orphans, and jobs to the neighbours near where Kesho Leo is being built, but the most important thing Food Water Shelter is doing is protecting our environment. The way they are protecting our environment is very important for future generations. If we have no rain, there is no life in Tanzania. If Tanzania has  no rain, we have no water, if we have no water, we have no food and if we have no food, we have no life. I also like working with Food Water Shelter because they are good, kind people. Even our labourers building Kesho Leo like the Food Water Shelter team. They give workers the freedom to rest a little when they are tired on the job. They give the workers the freedom to talk with them and ask them questions. In our country, this is not normal. Food Water Shelter have created a good relationship with their workers which is very important because many of these workers are neighbours, so Food Water Shelter will get support - such as security - for a long time. Other NGOs can learn from fws in relation to protecting our environment and creating good relationships with neighbours."

Nolasco Francis Mwake, Kesho Leo Children's Village, Community Relations Advisor
Role:  to help fws team to liaise with their neighbours and to facilitate interactive communication and decision making between the Kesho Crew and their neighbours.

Role:  to help fws Building Foreman, Darren Stratti, and Kesho Leo Children's Village Assistant Manager, Mudi Salim, to build the village!

Shona and Kelsey have just shortlisted 14 local women - all single mothers - for the 16 house-mother positions at Kesho Leo Children's Village. The women are aged from 21 to 70 - and make a great mix of young mothers (already supporting their own children and sometimes their orphaned neighbours as well) and wisened grandmothers (supporting their orphaned grandchildren).

Role: As of January 2008, the women will begin twice-weekly education classes covering English, health, and positive parenting lessons as part of their training to become a great role model and foster-parent at Kesho Leo Children's Village. These classes will continue indefinitely, even when the women are finally granted a full-time position and home at Kesho Leo Children's Village.