MEET SAIDA

With her father gone, 11-year-old Saida* was often left alone to look after the home and her younger siblings while her mother worked long hours. There was never enough to eat and, when her mother arrived home, Saida was often scolded for not completing her chores.

So, feeling overwhelmed, neglected and hungry, Saida headed to the streets.

But, alone on the streets in Tanzania’s largest city, Dar es Salaam, Saida was even more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.

Despite the challenges she has around learning, Saida survived for almost a month before she was found and taken to Railway Children’s Child Support Desk at Magufuli Bus Terminal.

Rebuilding families

At Railway Children, we know the best place for a child to grow is in a family, where they are nurtured, safe and loved.

That’s why reuniting a child with their family is just the start of our support.

Through working with children and their families for as long as it takes and however they need, we are helping families rebuild together stronger – creating a better future for everyone, for good.

‘I feel very happy and grateful to be living with my family,’ says Saida, ‘it’s wonderful to be together’.

But, right now, there are many more families like Saida’s falling apart and in desperate need of rebuilding.