THE implementation of the Africa Bridge Project in Tanzania is seen as a “game changer” in the lives of vulnerable children, not only in the country, but also elsewhere in Africa.

The author of the book titled “And the Children Shall Lead Us”Barry Childs (C) cuts a ribbon to officiate the launching of the book on his left is co-author Philip Whiteley and other are officials from Africa Bridge project and stakeholders the event took place in Dar es Salaam at the weekend.

This is a complement the author of “And The Children Shall Lead Us” book launched in Dar es Salaam at the weekend received. 

Barry Childs got such a complement from researchers at the University of Texas in the United States through their Ray Marshall Centre.

“Writing this book and starting the project are a result of a study conducted by University of Texas in the United States through their Ray Marshall Research Centre. For sure, a mode used by the project will bring about positive results in the lives of vulnerable Tanzanian children,” he said.

During the launch of his 168-page book, Childs said about 7,700 children had been reached by the project in six wards and 37 villages in Rungwe District, Mbeya Region.

 “These vulnerable children have been saved from extreme poverty by providing them accommodation, education and health insurance as part of the Africa Bridge Project in the country,” he said.

Childs explained that he returned to Tanzania where he grew up as a child after 35 years and felt bad when he found rural people grappling with extreme poverty and so he decided to start an aid organisation to alleviate the incidence of extreme poverty.

"Most of the people I grew up with in Arusha Region between 1944 and 1962, I found them still almost as poor as before and some had already lost their lives due to extreme poverty. So, I decided to write this book to develop a positive attitude in rural people and help them, especially children," he said at the weekend. 

He explained that to mitigate extreme poverty in rural vulnerable children Africa Bridge Organisation involved the children themselves and their parents and also involved the community through village committees so that they might be able to help in the upbringing of children starting from home, school and the community in general.

Childs added that through the project vulnerable children learned entrepreneurial activities related to dairy cattle such as milking and selling milk products and planting avocado trees for business. 

Project Coordinator Kelvin Ngonyani said the book had an exciting narrative and aimed at uplifting rural vulnerable children out of extreme poverty and imparting to them the knowledge of sustainable agriculture, entrepreneurship and improving their lives.

He said an effective way of serving vulnerable children was through family and community committees and the participation of village, ward and local government leaders and providing support that would produce positive results. 

One of the project beneficiaries and a resident of Rungwe District in Mbeya Region, Sara Mosses (22), who shared her life story, was taking a community development course at Rungemba Mafinga College. 

"I am one of the beneficiaries of this project. I have been educated through avocado farming from the primary school level and I am currently a college student, taking a community development course. After my studies I want to return to my home village and continue serving my community, especially vulnerable children," he added.

Childs’ book, which is a fascinating account of 23 years of Africa Bridge, a sustainable and cooperative agricultural model transforming rural villages, is based on both field experience and academic research. 

The book raises awareness of its potential to uplift the most vulnerable children out of poverty in the country.

Childs, who grew up in the country, left for further studies in South Africa, and later returned home to help his homeland. 

It was after obtaining his bachelor of Applied Science in Psychology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and after he had worked for 17 years at Exxon Company and also served as Director of Learning at Abbott Laboratories. He then resigned his position in 2000 and founded Africa Bridge to help vulnerable Tanzanian children. 

When he returned to Tanzania 35 years later, the African country was a vastly different place grappling with poverty and the ravage of HIV/Aids. 

“And The Children Shall Lead Us” tells the engrossing story of how the project works, how it came about and was implemented, and what has been learned during Africa Bridge’s 23 years of operation. 

Childs’ viewpoint is that to transform vulnerable children’s lives a secure revenue stream is needed to enable them to be nurtured and educated, and offered realistic opportunities to realise their potential. 

Africa Bridge establishes agricultural cooperatives and children's committees, by empowering village women to generate sustainable incomes while meeting social needs. This community-based, child-focused approach provides a blueprint for ethical development.