Introduction
The Changarawe Project was started in 1998 by two friends – Felistas Kalomo, from Tanzania, and Caro Walford, from England – united by a desire to help the orphaned and destitute children of Changarawe village in the Morogoro region of Tanzania.
Over the last 25 years, through the generosity of many supporters, the project has grown considerably to include a pre-primary school, a micro-finance scheme, a peer education project, an elderly carer support programme, a study centre and a fund to support orphans to continue their education.
At the heart of all our work is the commitment to help people to help themselves. We believe in doing a few things extremely well to empower, in a truly sustainable way, people who would otherwise have very little.
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Governance
Strong governance underpins all aspects of our operations.
The Changarawe Project is UK-registered project which raises funds for a range of initiatives in Changarawe village. These initiatives are delivered by Childhood Development Organisation (CDO), a Tanzania-registered NGO based in Changarawe village, which has 18 employees. The salaries and running costs of CDO, as well as the cost of the initiatives, are paid by The Changarawe Project.
CDO is run by its three most senior members: the executive director, the programme officer and the accountant. The activities and governance of CDO are overseen by an executive committee comprising the executive director and four independent committees. Employees and villagers are also regularly involved in scrutinising the operation and impact of CDO’s work.
The trustees of The Changarawe Project, who are volunteers, meet at least twice a year to discuss distribution of funds and the Project’s long-term development and fundraising strategy.
The two organisations work together under a memorandum of understanding, which is renewed annually.
Meet The Team
cdo MANAGEMENT Team
Felistas Kalomo – Executive Director
Felistas is the Co-Founder of The Changarawe Project and Executive Director of Childhood Development Organisation. A passionate campaigner for social welfare, Felistas established The Changarawe Project in 1998 to help the orphaned and destitute children of Changarawe village. She holds diplomas, in nutrition, agriculture, gender and management, from a number of educational institutions, including the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands.
Innocent Rusomyo – Programme Officer
Innocent is CDO’s Programme Officer and oversees all its projects, including those funded by The Changarawe Project. He is a development practitioner with over a decade’s experience managing and coordinating development projects in Tanzania. He holds degrees from Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania and Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University in China.
Donatila Akwilini – Accountant
Donatila is CDO’s Accountant, with responsibility for the management and control of all financial matters, including the disbursement of funding from The Changarawe Project. She holds a bachelor degree in accountancy from the Institute of Finance Management in Tanzania.
Board of Trustees
Founders
Caro Walford
Felistas Kalomo
Chair of Trustees
Rose Baylis
Treasurer
Michael Robarts
Luke Edwards-Stuart
Sarah Konopka
Robert Watkinson