Communities
Mission
Contributing to the economic and social success of the people in and around where we operate, recognizing and reinforcing the inseparable relationship between a healthy business and a healthy society.
Approach
To conduct development projects economically, legally and ethically, sharing the concerns of our communities and dedicating our capabilities, resources and people to create a better future for all. We also aim to positively impact the Songo Songo Island community and surrounding districts across three focus areas;
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Education
Expanding access to primary and secondary education for the local community.
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Health
Increase access to clean, well equipped and well-staffed medical facilities in the areas surrounding our operations.
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Scholarships
Providing access to higher education opportunities for the local community.
The importance of the education system
The Government of Tanzania recognizes that a robust education system has a pivotal role to play in the country achieving its development goals. This view is shared by Orca and therefore the Company has focused on its communities educational and health needs.
Investing in childhood development
Songo Songo Island Kindergarten
Early learning for pre-school aged children sets the foundation for improved performance at primary level and higher level education.
In September 2011, the Company funded the construction of a kindergarten. The facility has two classrooms, bathrooms, teachers offices, a library and a play area with a total capacity for 135 students. Since opening, Orca has also supported the facility providing books, toys and other items to enhance learning.
Providing educational prospects
The kindergarten has proven to be an important step in improving the educational prospects for children within Songo Songo Island’s remote community, delivering a significant increase in the availability of first stage education, increasing human resource capital and expanding income potential for the Songo Songo Island community.
Providing ongoing assistance to community schooling
The Company has carried out significant upgrades to the local elementary school facilities and provides essential educational materials and equipment to ensure the students benefit from effective learning resources.
Girls dormitory
Support to the secondary school has included the construction and furnishing of a girl’s dormitory, accommodating up to 55 females. The dormitory offers school aged girls on the Island the opportunity to remain in a learning environment, focus on their studies and eventually attain qualifications that enable them to expand their employment opportunities.
Science laboratory
The Company funded the construction of a multi-purpose science laboratory for the Island’s secondary school. The facility helped the district achieve a national target, which required every secondary school to have access to a science laboratory. In addition, Orca donated 1,500 bags of cement to Kilwa District Council to support construction in other schools in the district.
Orca has played an important role in developing and implementing health programmes that support communities on Songo Songo Island and in the Kilwa District.
The Company continues to invest to develop accessible, clean, well equipped and well-staffed medical facilities in the areas surrounding our operations. Orca works with community and district leaders to identify and prioritize sustainable health projects in locations where the maximum benefit will be felt.
Nangurukuru Dispensary – Nangurukuru, Kilwa District
Population 20,000
The lack of available health services posed a risk to the community, especially in the case of pregnant mothers who were required to walk long distances to access medical services. The community decided to construct the Nangurukuru dispensary, but unfortunately, they were only able to fund construction up to lintel level.
Orca stepped in and funded the remainder of the dispensary, including an out-patient department, a mother and child health ward and a maternity wing. The dispensary has had a highly positive effect on the local community, providing easily accessible medical support to locals, pregnant women and children in the region.
Staff Housing – Nangurukuru, Kilwa District
Population 20,000
Staff housing was also constructed with two residential buildings to accommodate medical staff working at the newly constructed Nangurukuru Dispensary.
This means the dispensary can remain open for longer hours, provide 24-hour service in special circumstances and deliver services to a far greater number of people.
Maternity Waiting Home, Kilwa District Hospital
In a bid to compliment the District’s effort to reduce child mortality, the Company have funded the construction of a fully furnished maternity waiting home at Kilwa District Hospital.
This is a residential facility located near to a qualified medical facility where females deemed as high risk can rest in safe and clean surroundings, while confident they can be quickly transferred to the nearby medical facility where they can access higher levels of care and treatment.
Somanga Health Centre, Somanga
Population 10,000
The remote area of Somanga comprises five villages, the distance from Somanga to the Kilwa District Hospital is 62 km therefore, localized medical facilities were critical. Somanga Health Centre construction began in Q3 2019 and was completed in 2020.
Somanga Health Centre has been one of the Company’s largest healthcare projects to-date. The facility is well equipped, and the Government of Tanzania will also contribute X-ray machines, surgery equipment, beds, mortuary equipment and laboratory equipment. The completed facility will allow all community members, along with an additional 2,000 people from surrounding villages, access to a broad range of high-quality healthcare.
Mortuary Building Kinyonga District Hospital, Kilwa Kivinje
Population 20,000
The Kinyonga District Hospital at Kilwa Kivinje is a referral centre that receives patients from health centres and clinics in rural and urban areas of the wider Kilwa District. The hospital is located close to the main road that leads from Mtwara in the south to Dar es Salaam in the north.
It is approximately 360 km from Dar es Salaam and 200 km from the Lindi Regional Hospital. The catchment area for Kinyong District Hospital is therefore vast, making it a vital support hub for a large swathe of the district community, and for travellers who use the main road from Dar es Salaam to the Mtwara and Ruvuma regions.
For many years, the hospital had a dilapidated mortuary facility with poor infrastructure which made it unfit for purpose. Recognizing the health and compassionate requirements for an operable mortuary, in 2020 the Company funded the construction of the facility, which is now completed, and the building handed over to the Kilwa District Council.
District Pharmacy Block, Kilwa Kivinje
Population 20,000
The Government of Tanzania recently directed that each council establishes a pharmacy to ensure the availability of reliable medicines for community members receiving service at all district hospitals and health centres. In line with this, the Company in 2020 funded the construction of a pharmacy block at Kilwa Kivinje.
The Pharmacy block building is now completed and the building handed over to the Kilwa District Council for use. This support is expected to reduce incidences of medicine deficiency in district hospitals and health centres, provide easier access to medicines, create employment, and generate revenues to improve other healthcare services, including infrastructure for rehabilitation.
Dispensary Building at Nahama Village, Namayuni Ward
Population 10,000
The Namayuni ward comprises five villages, the area has no public health facility and the nearest hospital is at Kipatimu, some 30 km away. The Company has funded the construction of a building that includes:
- Out-Patients Department
- Maternal & Child Health Ward
- Maternity Wing
- Incinerator
This facility ensures more immediate medical support is available to the village, along with other surrounding communities.
Chumo Health Centre, Kilwa
Population 14,000
Chumo is one of the most densely populated wards in Kilwa District comprising of five villages. The construction of a health centre allows community members to access high quality health care, the facility will ensure more immediate medical support is available to community members, and surrounding communities.
The facility has been constructed with the same capabilities of the health centre completed by the Company in Somanga. The Company utilized a local contractor who employed local villagers in completing the project. All building materials and the logistical delivery is being procured through local Tanzanian suppliers.
Songo Songo Island Health Centre
Population 7,000
Currently, the Island has one dispensary that provides primary health care services lacking specialist services such as surgery, cardiologists, dermatologists, urologists and other specialists. The nearest referral facility for the islanders is on the mainland at Kinyonga District Hospital, some 27 km and a boat ride away.
The Company is currently funding the construction of an outpatient department, maternity ward, surgical theatre, laboratory, mortuary, and laundry facilities on Songo Songo Island. The facility will be equipped and staffed to provide transformative primary and secondary health care to the Songo Songo islanders, across a broad and vital range of medical capabilities.
Tumaini La Maisha (Hope for Life)
The Company continues to support Tumaini La Maisha (“TLM”). TLM is a Tanzanian based NGO who provide care for children with cancer. TLM aim to reach every child in Tanzania who develops cancer, and provides high quality cancer treatment free of charge with the hope for a continued and healthy life. The charity is dedicated to caring for not only the children with cancer, but also supporting their families.
In collaboration with TLM, the Company has provided support for the expansion of childhood cancer services in Sokoine Referral Hospital in Lindi Region, funding a new treatment, contributing to the improving survival rates of children suffering with cancer.
In October 2021 TLM began the second intake of paediatric oncology fellows at Muhimbili National Hospital (“MNH”) and has added two more sites to its network.
How we have helped TLM
The Company’s support has enabled the following:
- 28 children treated with childhood cancer from Lindi
- 500 arc lights to aid early diagnosis of children with certain cancers
- 250 courses of chemotherapy supplied to Sokoine Lindi Regional Hospital
- Purchase and delivery of personal protective equipment, including gloves, N95 masks and gowns at MNH and Sokoine Hospital in Lindi
- Bone marrow aspirate needles and bone marrow biopsy needles provided for every child
- Diagnostic testing at alternative medical centres, when not accessible at the treatment center
- Provision of antibiotics and other essential medication
- Transport provided for children and their families for journeys to and from the hospital
- Computers and software licenses
- 189 health professionals given training on childhood cancer treatment in the Lindi Region
Annual scholarship program
The Company runs an annual scholarship program for select students, with the aim of improving the educational experience for the children of Songo Songo Island. This initiative funds students through a full secondary education program in a selected school in Dar es Salaam. Orca covers all of the associated costs with other educational requirements. Since 2011, more than 55 students have benefited from this program.
Currently through the program, nineteen students are undertaking O (Ordinary) Level courses, and four are attending university or higher educational.
In 2020, the first two students from SSI graduated from University. Haji Omari Naoda graduated from the University of Dodoma and Fahadi Juma Likwena graduated from Mzumbe University.
Fahadi, one of our scholarship program attendees
In 2020, Fahadi graduated from the Mzumbe University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Procurement and Logistics Management. Fahadi is the sixth child born in a family of six boys and one girl. All his siblings have only attained primary school level of education, his father is a fisherman, and his mother is a housewife.
In 2011, when the Company introduced its scholarship program, Fahadi was one of the first 10 beneficiaries. The Company paid for Fahadi to attend secondary school in Dar es Salaam where he excelled. He went on to do equally well in his A levels, and in 2017 attained sufficient pass marks to qualify for university.
Throughout, the Company has covered the costs of Fahadi’s travel to and from SSI during school breaks, all school fees, boarding costs, uniform, textbooks and all other school requirements. Even with his obvious intellect, it is highly unlikely Fahadi would have followed this path without the Company’s support. Always eager to learn, in 2019 Fahadi also completed an internship within the Company in the Logistics Department in Dar es Salaam and SSI. Logistics Manager, Stella Ndossi, has praised Fahadi as he has been able to execute his assignments very well and even suggested on how to improve the Company systems and procedures based on what he has learned at school.
Immediately after graduation Fahadi was hired by Coca Cola Tanzania in their Mbeya Plant as a Logistics Assistant. Fahadi is very grateful to the Company for its support throughout his journey and with the employment he obtained he will be able to support his family. Fahadi is a role model for other students on the island. When he is on vacation, he uses his spare time to volunteer and teach English and Commerce at the SSI Secondary School.
