A young boy in a yellow hoodie blowing a bubble with bubblegum, sitting on the ground outdoors. There is a blue backpack nearby and another person holding a container of bubblegum bubble solution. A tree and some buildings are visible in the background.

Keep Mlali Growing

For forty years, Mlali has been an oasis for disabled children where they are treated with dignity, given the hope of recovery, and, often for the first time in their lives, given friends. This year, a wave of support proved what's possible, replacing worn-out equipment, sponsoring children, and effecting real change on the ground. But Mlali runs on that support, and the need hasn't slowed. There's much more to do, and you can be part of it.

A young man sitting on the floor with five children in a room with concrete flooring and brick walls.

A message from Project Lead, Ben Rainford:

I've volunteered twice at Mlali. On my most recent visit, Fr. Gaudence told me the Centre was running on almost no outside support. Since returning to the US, I've worked with past volunteers and generous individuals to help close that gap. Together, Fr. Gaudence and I identified the most urgent needs and started with the ones that most directly help the children— mobility equipment and child sponsorships—which you can explore below. Next, we're setting our sights on something bigger: a clinic that could bring safe medical care to Mlali and the villages around it. More on that soon.

To learn more about the Centre's mission or to contact Ben directly, click below:

Get in Touch

General Giving Fund

Donations to the General Fund are directed toward the Centre’s most immediate needs. These may include:

Child Sponsorship
Emerging Needs and Campaigns
General Operations

Learn More

❊ How you can help

Our Current Campaigns

All donations are processed through our US-based 501(c)(3) sponsor and are fully tax-deductible. As each campaign reaches its goal, we'll share updates, photos, and stories showing the impact of your support.

Child Sponsorship (August)

Some families cannot afford treatment, but the Centre never turns children away for financial reasons. Donations help cover full board, food, medical care, and physiotherapy.

It costs $76 a month to sponsor a child. Currently, 4 children need your support.

Click to Give

Coming Soon: The Clinic

Mlali just finished building a clinic, but it sits mostly empty, waiting on the equipment to open its doors. Once it does, it won't only serve the children here. It'll bring real medical care, and a safe place to give birth, to families across the villages around Mlali.

It's our biggest undertaking yet. More on how you can help soon.

Get Updates

The Latest from Mlali

See where your support goes—equipment delivered, children sponsored, and the latest from the ground at Mlali. New stories and photos are posted as the work progresses.

See the Updates

❊ Our mission

About the Centre

A young boy with a short haircut and wearing a striped long-sleeve shirt stands outdoors, smiling and leaning on a metal walker in front of a background featuring a brick building and laundry hanging on a clothesline.

Rehabilitation

Returning children to health is at the heart of Mali’s mission. Most children arrive unable to walk, or even to stand up. Through various therapies, they are rehabilitated, growing stronger and more autonomous. Almost all the children progress enough to walk on their own: the point at which they return home.

A young man in brown religious robes standing outside a building with a thoughtful expression, hand on his chin.

Formation

Mlali is Tanzania's Capuchin formation house, where young aspirants spend their formation year and seminarians live over their summer break. They work with the Children and around the Center, practicing the Franciscan charism of poverty, charity, and obedience.

A young girl in a plaid skirt and blue jacket standing next to a man in medical scrubs inside a building with wooden paneling and a yellow wall.

Volunteer

Mlali welcomes volunteers from Europe and the United States. Italian doctors often provide dental and medical care that would otherwise be unavailable to the Centre and surrounding villages. Student groups also visit during the summer and fall to assist with the children.

Learn more about what happens on the ground in Mlali: our story, mission, and the people that make it all possible.

About us ▸