Kilimanjaro Young Girls in Need

The KYGN is a charity that cares for young girls, and a few boys, in a rural village called Mabogini outside Moshi, Kilimanjaro. The village is very poor, with very little access to fresh water and other basic needs, and the KYGN monitors the children's health and provides visits to hospital and medication. Children are not able to enter mainstream schooling without passing a basic English and Arithmetic test, which the KYGN teaches them to do. Many of the children have lost one or both parents to HIV and some suffer abuse and deprivation. Past and present volunteers raise funds to put the children into mainstream schooling once they are ready, and the KYGN hopes to open as a drop in centre for the adults to educate them in contraception and health medication. Both are available free in Moshi, but there is no distribution .The KYGN is linked to the hostel Kili in Mbokomu, a small rural village outside Moshi. It is run by Michelle Simmons with the backing of Marcia Staples in Dover, England, and the director of the KYGN has been made a partner in the business, so that the KYGN benefits from any income from volunteers staying there. Michelle is joint director of the KYGN, but works as a volunteer without wages, as does the director. Both the KYGN and Hostel Kili have good websites now set up by former volunteers which give a lot of information. The hostel is comfortable and clean and transport is provided to the KYGN for volunteers. No charge is made to work there, any contribution is voluntary.