Aims

UMIVITA stands for 'Umoja wa Miradi kwa Viziwi Tanzania' - United Projects for Deaf People in Tanzania. It is an NGO founded in 1988 by young deaf people to provide advocacy and support services for young deaf people in Dar es Salaam, helping them to write letters, find jobs, get medical help and make other deaf friends. They run weekly youth clubs and arrange evening classes for deaf students. They also run a rice farm, to provide employment and training for deaf workers.

UMIVITA is based in Kariakoo, the market district of Dar.

Left to right: Rahim, Miss Tungi and Salum

Who's who

UMIVITA is staffed by ex-pupils of Buguruni School for the Deaf. The Chair is Joseph Hizza, who also has a full-time job as a translator for a Swahili newspaper. The office is staffed by Rahim Mpogo and Tungi Mwanjala.

Left to right: Lucy Carter and Joseph Hizza