About us

Lydia Kilindo: „During my school-time, it has already been clear in my mind that I would like to go to a foreign country for some time in order to explore a foreign culture and to get to know their language and life-style. After A-Levels the German Fellowship of Reconciliation offered me the opportunity to do a practical training  for the term of one year in Tanzania, near Kilimanjaro, working as a teacher for physics, English and computer science in a secondary school. Since that time I have got acquainted with the language and culture of the country and made the decision to be devoted to the development of projects in Tanzania especially on Zanzibar. During my academic studies for social pedagogy and social work I was always intended on adopting the basics that will be relevant for my subsequent occupation as a project manager. During my studies I  gathered work experience in the guidance of HIV-prevention-campaigns and a workshop on human rights education as well as in the field of individual case support and counselling in a grassroots organization in Nungwi, a little fishing village in the North of Unguja (Zanzibar). My husband, who comes from Zanzibar, and me, we have built up a new existance in Tanzania and we intend to immigrate this year in order to initiate projects for the Umoja-Network on site, to cooperate with the local population and develop project ideas so that an increasing suatainable development in Tourism will be guaranteed for the community. The people in the Western Countries hold a great potential and skills that they could share with the people in Africa.  It can be technical skills  as well as commercial expertise.  I welcome you sincerely, to support us actively."

Daniel Hartmann: He has finished his university entrance qualification with economical focus and after he has done his alternative service at the caritas children home Mariaschutz. Through this he got the first contact with the big diversity of tasks at a social organization. After this he has started his first internship in Tanzania at a Company which is called consolidated investments which is acting in many different fields. It is located in Dar es Salaam and he was doing some administrational work there as a preparation for his upcoming apprenticeship at the Eckert und Ziegler AG. During his stay in Tanzania he has met Elena who is another founding member and he started to support her with her projects for children and youth and he participated  at dancing courses in children’s jail and theater shows in youth clubs. During his following apprenticeship at the mentioned above Eckert und Ziegler AG in Berlin which took two and a half years he reached the profession as an industry sales representative. The Eckert und Ziegler AG is acting in the medical technology branch and is specialized for cancer therapy, as well as medical nuclear imaging and industrial metrology. Then he started his second stay in Tanzania for half a year. He was working at a NGO called KADETFU (Kagera Development and Credit Revolving Fund) which is placed in Bukoba. Cause of his large administrative knowledge he was supporting the stuff in all kind of administrational work, but also he was working at schools, in orphanages and he participated at some agricultural projects. Currently he is studying social science at the University of Bielefeld.

Elena: I studied Social Work at the University of Cooperate education in Gera. In this time I mainly worked in care homes for children and youth with behavioural issues.. During my studies I also did a 3month internship at YCIC (Youth Cultural and Information Center) in Dar Es Salaam/ Tanzania.

There I met Michaela and Daniel both of whom worked and lived in Dar Es Salaam, too. My main responsibilities during the internship were lokking after inprisoned children and conducting dancing- and theaterworkshops in different youth-clubs and the remande home. These workshops were about socially relevant topics and often in co-operation with other local NGOs.My socio-cultural exposure by staying with a local family was far removed from what a generic tourism experience would've been.It gave me a deeper understanding of underlying issues, wheter personal or social.The critical thought process related to development work continued after my return from Tanzania. I furthered my studies in the related fields; in my dissertation I worked on a concept about "Theatre pedagogical methods for HIV/ AIDS - prevention in Sub-Saharan Africa".After finishing my studies I volunteered for 14 months in an HIV/ AIDS - Project called TCE (Total Control Of The Epidemic) in DEnmark, Namibia and India. TCE is a Community Mobilisation - Project which is active in the regions with the highest HIV-rate in Africa and India. The aim of the project is to assist the locals in building a strong network in order to ensure a sustainable solution of the HIV/ AIDS-Epidemic in all regards.At TCE I was responsible for recruitment and training of Field Officers and Special Forces as well as supervising them in their daily work.Since 2007 I live in Berlin and work in the vocational training of socially disadvantaged youth and adults.

With "Umoja" I want to keep on networking so that the locals actually get a chance to profit from globalisation and tourism. So thank you very much for cooperating in that issue!

Michaela: „While I was stydying nutrition I was in Tanzania for internships in two diffenrent hospitals. That was when i met the eastafrican culture and the local live there and got to love it.

Now I am working in germany in a study goup which is dealing with breast cancer.

I would like to create a platform so that the africans and europeans can meet, help and learn from each others culture. This could be in ecological tourism.“