Mlali’s Mission 

❊ About Us

We provide life-changing care to disabled children in Tanzania.  

Seventy-five children live at Mlali Rehabilitation Centre in Tanzania’s Dodoma Region. Most have cerebral palsy, congenital malformations, or club-foot deformities. Most can't walk without help. They come from villages across the country, where a child who cannot walk often doesn’t go to school, doesn’t see a doctor, and is left alone indoors while other children run outside.

At Mlali, they’re not left behind.

The Centre provides medical care, physical therapy, and mobility equipment to support rehabilitation, often bringing children close to complete recovery. Many arrive unable to stand, and leave walking upright.

Yet when you ask the children what they love about Mlali, it isn’t the treatment they mention—it’s their friends. At home, their disabilities are isolating; at the Centre, usually for the first time, they get to play.

A man wearing sunglasses, a colorful patterned shirt, black pants, and sandals standing outdoors on an orange dirt path surrounded by sparse trees and a bright blue sky.

Mlali Director Fr. Gaudence

Fr. Gaudence has been a Capuchin friar for 38 years and currently serves as the Centre’s director. For serious inquiries, click below.

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Mission Statement

Our mission is to rehabilitate physically disabled children from poor family backgrounds and provide them an improved quality of life and the possibility of independence through medical care, therapy, and community.

A dirt road stretches into the distance through a rural landscape with trees on both sides, under a blue sky with some clouds.

Centre History

Fr. Angelo Simonetti, an Italian friar who had previously worked with disabled children in Ethiopia, saw the same need in Tanzania and started building the Centre in 1982. The first children arrived in 1990.

Fr. Gaudence Aikaruwa has directed the Centre since the early 2000s. Under his leadership, Mlali has become largely self-sustaining through 168 acres of farmland. The Centre grows maize, beans, and vegetables, relying on a spring for water, and solar panels for electricity.

Forty years in, Mlali has significantly expanded and helped hundreds of children. Some even stuck around after recovering, like Mlali’s current gardener Bakari Hamisi. In the future, Gaudence dreams of expanding the Centre into, in his words, an “empowerment centre” capable of providing a myriad of services, from medical care to vocational training and more.

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Close-up of a young boy with a shaved head, wearing a yellow jacket, looking up at the camera indoors.

Spotlight: Helen

Helen is from southern Tanzania. Her father abandoned the family, leaving her mother alone with three young children. Helen was born at home and sustained head injuries during birth that left her disabled. Her mother brought her to Mlali—partly for rehabilitation, partly to ease the burden of caring for three children alone.

Helen arrived malnourished, physically disabled, and struggling to interact socially. After systematic physiotherapy and improved nutrition, she has shown significant progress. Her social skills and desire to interact with her peers has grown considerably, which is encouraging. We hope to enroll her in formal education in 2026.

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❊ Capuchin Formation
A man with glasses standing outdoors with two young children, one girl in a pink hoodie and one boy in a tan jacket, in front of a building with a brick wall and wooden ceiling.

Young Capuchin friars spend their summer vacation at Mlali on spiritual retreat. They work the land, keep a disciplined prayer schedule, and help with rehabilitation efforts.

It's part of their formation in the Franciscan charism: poverty, charity, and obedience.

Four young men dressed in brown religious robes with white ropes, standing outdoors in front of a brick building and plants, during daytime.
Three people standing on a mountain top with arms outstretched, overlooking a vast landscape and mountains in the distance during daytime.

Amani na Salama: Common greeting to wish someone “Peace and goodness'“

Volunteers at Mlali:

Mlali receives volunteers from Italy, France, and the United States who assist with rehabilitation efforts, construction, and farm work. The Centre routinely hosts Italian doctors who provide dental and medical care to the children and surrounding community. People travel hours, sometimes days, to receive this life-changing care when clinics are operating.

A man with a beard, wearing sunglasses, a black cap, a purple shirt, and a backpack, sitting outdoors on a concrete surface, laughing with two children, one of whom is lying on his lap, while other children sit nearby in front of a building with brick and wall tiles, under a green metal roof

Meet Alessandro

Alessandro volunteered at Mlali during the summer of 2025. He provided dental care to the village and surrounding area for several weeks. Because such care is so rare, people traveled hundreds of miles to see him. He is also a photographer and took all of the best photos you see on this website.

A group of children and a young man sitting on the floor outdoors, smiling and interacting. The background shows a brick wall and a wooden door.

Ben Rainford

I’ve lived at Mlali twice and currently direct the Centre’s fundraising efforts. I stay in close contact with Fr. Gaudence, so if you want to help or have questions about the Centre’s work, reach out. I can provide answers, share documentation, and connect you directly with Fr. Gaudence. We can also schedule a call to discuss specific needs and how your support will be used.

Contact Me

General Giving Fund

General Giving Fund

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

  • Current Campaigns

  • Child Sponsorship

  • General Operations

  • Smaller, Urgent Concerns Not Listed Above

Learn more
A young boy smiling while standing with a walker outside a building with a brick wall and colorful laundry hanging on a drying rack in the background.
A young child dressed in a striped green hat and colorful clothing is being carried on an adult's back, looking directly at the camera with wide eyes. The background features a busy marketplace with blurred figures and vibrant stalls.
A woman with braided hair decorated with colorful beads, wearing a plaid shirt over a patterned dress, working behind the counter of a small shop. The shop has various hair products and accessories on shelves and hanging on the wall.
A young girl walking on a dirt path in a rural area, wearing a floral dress and orange sandals, with two other people in the background and trees on either side of the path under a blue sky.
A young boy sitting on a wooden floor against a gray brick wall, holding a bubble wand and a bubble solution container, with soap bubbles floating around him.
A man holding a young child in a rural village setting, with several people and brick structures in the background.