Project Tanzania 1985 - 2000

Jim Goodmon, President and CEO of Capitol Broadcasting Company was deeply moved by the suffering of many Africans that were affected by the massive drought in the early 1980's. So, in 1985, a group of dedicated people went on a fact-finding trip to find an area that wanted assistance in becoming more self-sufficient.

The rural Shinyanga Region was selected
and Project Tanzania was born.

WRAL-TV produced an hour-long documentary that introduced North Carolinians to the situation in Shinyanga and identified ways to help Tanzanians help themselves. This wasn't another hand-out program, but a way to give these people a hand up to a better life.

North Carolinians responded with generosity and compassion, funding both a Reforestation Program and a Scholarship Program. Educational supplies, medical supplies and essential health care materials donated by many school children and other North Carolinians reached schools, clinics and health care centers in rural Shinyanga Region villages.

In 1997, Project Tanzania commissioned a Zanzibar carved wooden door that would serve as a reminder of this successful undertaking. On Thursday, February 24, 2000, this magnificent door was dedicated during a spectacular ceremony held in Exploris, where the doors will remain.

The Results of Project Tanzania's Efforts

• Over a million fuel, wood and fruit tree seedlings have been raised and planted at schools, homes and family farms.
• Farmers have learned how trees improve the soil and increase their ability to grow crops that feed their families.
• Over 120 Tanzanian students have received secondary school scholarships: none of these students could have continued beyond the primary level without this assistance. Of these scholars, 12 have advanced to the university level
• A machine was donated to a Regional Hospital allowing the staff to purify and use local resources for IV solutions instead of purchasing expensive medical materials.
• A people-to-people link was established by regular classroom activities using Project Tanzania video programs and study guides and partnerships between North Carolinian and Tanzanian cultural organizations.

Project Tanzania has received national recognition for fostering international understanding through community involvement, including: The World Hunger Award, the National Education Association Award for the Advancement of Learning through Broadcasting, a Presidential Citation for Private Sector Initiatives and the International Understanding Award from the North Carolina Center for International Understanding.