The Voices of Hope Foundation (VOHF) is a community-driven organization based in Zanzibar, committed to fostering an inclusive society where every individual, particularly marginalized children, youth, and persons with disabilities, can realize their full potential
Voices of Hope Foundation (VOHF) is a community-based, caregiver-led organization founded in 2024 in Zanzibar, Tanzania, to advance the rights, dignity, and full participation of children and youth with disabilities. Our work is rooted in the belief that every child deserves to grow up in a supportive, inclusive environment, regardless of ability, gender, or socioeconomic background. In a context where 9.3% of the population lives with a disability and many face exclusion from education, healthcare, and social life, VOHF exists to bridge the gap between policy and lived reality. We work hand-in-hand with parents, teachers, health workers, faith leaders, and community volunteers to remove systemic barriers and promote long-term inclusion.
Under our flagship initiative, JuZa (Jumuisha Zanzibar), VOHF implements evidence-based, community-led interventions designed to make inclusion a lived reality. Our approach integrates five core areas: inclusive education, early identification and rehabilitation, family and community empowerment, inclusive play and recreation, and economic resilience.
We currently support over 270 children with disabilities across 10 schools in Zanzibar. This includes training teachers on inclusive pedagogies, setting up school-based support teams, and ensuring children have what they need to learn, such as braille machines, white canes, wheelchairs, hearing aids, and school uniforms. We also organize inclusive play and games within schools and community spaces, not only for recreation but to strengthen children’s social skills, confidence, and peer relationships.
Recognizing the economic vulnerability many caregivers face, VOHF provides seed capital grants to parent-led support groups, enabling them to launch small, sustainable income-generating projects. These groups go beyond financial empowerment: they serve as safe spaces where parents and caregivers, especially mothers, can regularly meet to share experiences, reflect on challenges, and support each other emotionally. Through these gatherings, families become better equipped to care for their children with disabilities while also reducing isolation, stigma, and dependency. The result is stronger households, fewer school dropouts, and more resilient communities.
We also train caregivers in basic home-based rehabilitation and disability rights, while partnering with faith leaders and local influencers to shift harmful attitudes. Our work is grounded in the WHO-endorsed Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) model, and is aligned with the UNCRPD, Tanzania’s Inclusive Education Strategy, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—especially SDG 4 on inclusive, equitable education.
