Community Projects In Tanzanian Villages To Improve Health, Increase Literacy, And Promote Economic Prosperity
The mission of the Rafiki Village Project (RVP) is to improve health, increase literacy, and promote economic prosperity in the villages of Dumbeta Ward in Tanzania. RVP finances specific, small-scale, community-led projects that focus on meeting basic needs, such as access to education, health care, clean water, and economic opportunities. Our community-supported projects include construction and installation of: infrastructure to supply clean drinking water; school classrooms, kitchens, toilets, and hand-washing stations; and renewable energy projects. We embrace a collaborative grassroots model of development that engages the local community at every level of every project. After visiting Dumbeta Ward and being struck by the disparity of wealth between rural Tanzania and his hometown of Portland, David Newman founded RVP (using the Swahili word for “friend”) to help break the cycle of poverty in the villages of Dumbeta Ward.
