Building a Caring Community (BCC) works with 8 parishes in Moshi Municipal to provide comprehensive services to children and young adults with intellectual disabilities and their families. BCC was founded in 2007 and currently serves more than 200 clients through center and home services.

BCC provides the following services:

1. Physical Therapy: Proper feeding, positioning, mobility exercises, provision of assistive devices, staff and parent trainings.
2. Occupational Therapy: Individual service plans, activities of daily living, hygiene, functional skills, staff and parent trainings.
3. Young Adult Program: Life skills and vocational training in agriculture, chicken raising, cleaning, handcrafts, soap, card, and papermaking.
4. PROMOT Health: Preventative health care, free access to medical and nutrition services and medications, exhaustive annual health screenings.
5. Education: Class lessons, literacy skills, individualized education plans.
6. Inclusion: Community events, partnerships with local schools and organizations.
7. Family Supports: Economic empowerment, social business, microcredit loans, caregiver trainings, family counseling sessions.

VISION

BCC’s vision is that children and young adults with intellectual disabilities and their families are included and valued as members of their communities, and have access to the same opportunities as their non-disabled community members.

MISSION

As a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, Northern Diocese (ELCT-ND), BCC’s mission is to provide vocational training, therapy, health care, and education to children and youth with intellectual disabilities to support them living independently. BCC also supports children and youth with intellectual disabilities through providing economic empowerment to their families and raising awareness of disability in the community to reduce stigma.

PARTNERS

BCC works closely with different partners to enable the provision of service to children and young adults with intellectual disabilities.

International:

1. MOSAIC International from the United States of America, founding and core partner.
2. Community Action for People with Disability in Africa (CAPDA) from Australia
3. Leipzig Mission from Germany
4. Project Possible from United States of America

Local:

1. 5. ELCT-ND Parishes and BCC friends
   6. Moshi Municipal Council
   7. Local primary and secondary schools including Kilimahewa Modern Secondary School, Moshi Primary School
   8. Local universities including Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College (KCMUCo), Mwenge University, Moshi Cooperative, Stefano Moshi Memorial University
   9. Local community organizations including CCBRT Moshi, Simbas Footprints
   10. Local hospitals and medical providers including KCMC and St. Joseph’s Hospital
   11. Volunteer programs: WorldUnite, HostelHoff, Tanzania Volunteers