Tanzania: Hope Revival Children's Organization (HRCO)

Mara, project mentor with HRCO Executive Director, Stephen Marwa, holding first batch of reusable sanitary pads.

Contribute to social entrepreneurship and women's empowerment projects developed in collaboration with UB students. Read about the first 10 years of partnering with Mara Tanzania in "On Tanzania Time."

Project description

Since 2009, ELN director, Mara Huber, has been visiting the Mara Region of Tanzania, cultivating partnerships with local NGOs and connecting UB students and colleagues with opportunities for engagement and collaboration. 

In 2015, UB students began visiting Tanzania through a popular study abroad course, exploring community development and women's empowerment with a focus on social innovation and capacity building. Althought we are currently not able to travel to Tanzania, UB students are invited to engage in a number of collaborative projects focused on women's empowerment, sustainability, and social entrepreneurship.

While our visits have featured a number of partners and NGOs, Hope Revival Children's Organization (HRCO), under the leadership of Executive Director Stephen Marwa, has emerged as our primary partner. HRCO supports its most vulnerable community members through a number of programs and social entrepreneurship initiatives. Over the years, UB students have contributed to HRCO's work in significant and extraordinary ways. Our students have started reusable sanitary pad projects, contributed to community surveys, and developed educational materials to support empowerment and community growth. These efforts have caught the attention of the local leadership, with hopes to further build momentum and scale.

New plans are underway to turn HRCO into a center for experiential learning, sharing many of the technologies and projects that are empowering women and local communities. Focus will be given to the reusable sanitary pad projects, community bicycle lab, interlocking soil-stabilized bricks, fish rand poultry raising, and early education. UB students are invited to help transform this exciting idea into a reality through related projects and contributions. All ideas and areas of interest are welcome. 

Project outcome

You can read about the history of our collaboration through this open source eBook 

View the following sample projects completed by UB students in collaboration with HRCO:

Priority Projects:

  • marketing and communications
  • grant writing
  • website development
  • social media
  • educational curricula

Students are invited to bring their ideas and talents to this  dynamic and exciting collaboration. 

Project details

Timing, eligibility and other details
Length of commitment Flexible 
Start time Anytime 
Level of collaboration Flexible 
Benefits Other
Who is eligible Anyone

Core partners

  • Hope Revival Children's Organization (HRCO)

Project mentor

Mara Huber

Associate Dean, Undergraduate Research and Experiential Learning; Director, Experiential Learning Network

Phone: (716) 829-2834

Email: mbhuber@buffalo.edu

Have a question about this project? Mara Huber hosts drop-in office hours on Zoom every Monday and Thursday from 9 a.m. until 10 a.m. 

Global NGO Project

This project is for students interested in collaborating with a global Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). Please be sure you identify your project as a Global NGO Project when you submit the interest form below.  

Start this Global NGO Project

  1. Express your interest in this Global NGO project by clicking the button below and completing the form. 
    • You will be notified within 2 business days if you are approved to work on this project. Approval is determined on a first-come, first-served basis.
  2. After you receive approval from ELN, you should complete the Global NGO Project Preparation Guide in the section below. 
Express Your Interest in this Global NGO Project
After you complete the Global NGO Project Preparation Guide, you will automatically be prompted by email to begin an ELN digital badge.

Preparation activities

After you receive approval from ELN to begin the project, you should download and complete this Global NGO Project Preparation Guide.

Once you begin the digital badge series, you will have access to all the necessary activities and instructions. Your mentor has indicated they would like you to also complete the specific preparation activities below. Please reference this when you get to Step 2 of the Preparation Phase. 

  • Read On Tanzania Time