Uluguru Repository for Development Investment (URDI) Partnership

The URDI Foundation is a registered NGO under Act of 2002 established since May 3, 2018. URDI is a Tanzanian Trust committed to advancing and empowering people’s livelihoods and quality of life through empowering communities to address barriers to health. This is done through the engagement of local and international stakeholders to develop and implement sustainable solutions through community driven initiatives. One of our main goal is to strengthen the community’s health status, advocate for improvements in health accessibility, and increase awareness of prevalent diseases in the community.

URDI is our in-country partner and sister Tanzanian organization. They are experts in their communities and vital to the functioning of SIHA International. They act as liaisons between SIHA and the community to facilitate planning, implementation and evaluation of projects. Additionally, while the International Travel Team is out of the country, they maintain ongoing projects throughout the year. The International Travel Team has worked towards developing greater financial autonomy between the two organizations, while still maintaining a strong partnership.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Project

Unsafe water was identified as a significant issue in the Tungi ward by the health coordinator and other local leaders. Using input from the community, SIHA developed a water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) project in Tungi Primary School aiming to increase knowledge of safe hygiene practices and waterborne illnesses. This project involved adapting a standard WASH curriculum to match the needs of primary school students in the Tungi ward. WASH is an ongoing project that is currently being implemented by SIHA’s Tanzanian team, URDI. In the future, we hope to work towards making WASH a self-sustaining project and expanding WASH to more schools in rural Tanzania. 

Left: Picture of the water tank at Tungi Primary School, which was funded by parents in the community. Right: Meeting with stakeholders, including the head teacher and the health teacher at Tungi Primary School, to discuss the current state of WASH and its impact in the community.