The Baobab Home Staff
The Mwandu Family
Caito and Terri met in 2003 on Zanibar and founded the Baobab Home in 2004. Caito oversees new construction on our farm site, manages payroll, tries to make headway with social services, plays with the kids, gets all of our volunteers their visas, and goes to any soccer game he can find in between it all.
Terri manages all of the administrative work, fundraising, etc. When she finally emerges from behind the computer you can find her with Nadya on her hip, walking around the farm working on projects, or chattering in English to volunteers.
Justis Edward Mwandu was born in March 2005 in Dar es Salaam. He spent his first few years as the “orphan guinea pig” teaching everyone how best to raise a baby in Tanzania, in Bagamoyo, at the Baobab Home. He also spent a lot of his babyhood coming along for the ride on outreach work. He also goes by Toto Bua, a name he gave himself when he was a little under 2. He’s now 7 years old and a ‘guinea pig” for the Steven Tito Academy, the new school being built on the Baobab Farm.
Nadya Odette Mwandu was born in April 2010. She loves being a part of the Baobab Kid clan. She also likes to herd cows with the Masai and sit under the guava tree waiting for ripe guavas to fall.
Muggin (Moogeen
Glory
Glory has a long history of baby care. She worked for two years at the Upendo Childcare training school, then studied two years there, and then worked there again.
Grace
Grace is our newest Mom in the house, having arrived in April 2011. She received her training at the same school as Glory in Moshi. Grace is mother to one son, Octavio who she sometimes brings to work to join the fun.
Helena
Helena is a mother of 3 boys. She has no formal training but is a skilled and loving caregiver to the Baobab kids. They love her dearly.
George
George comes is Nyaturu by tribe, from the Singida region. He manages all of our kids who are HIV positive, taking them to the clinic and making sure that they get their meds. He is trained as a peer educator and HIV home based care counselor. He has started a singing group among the positive kids in our community and leads all of our breakfast program activities, particularly those involving kids . He is Mama Bua’s right hand, and Bua’s best buddy.
The WAMASAI- Johanna and Paulo
Johanna and Paulo herd the cows and goats for us, but all of them cooperate on everything. They are a great team and a wonderful presence on the farm. They are also Nadya’s most devoted babysitters. She loves to herd cows with them, or take long walks and fall asleep in their arms.
William
William is our man about Dar es Salaam! He will likely be the first smiling face you see when you arrive in Tanzania as he picks up most of our volunteers. He goes far above and beyond the call of duty in every way for The Baobab Home.
Halima
Halima has been part of the Baobab family since 2005. She has done several jobs for us but these days she fosters two children, Habibu and Shabani who have been in our care since 2006. Their mother is mentally ill and there father is unknown.
Halima is a veteran police officer (27 years) and in that time was trained as a nursery school teacher(1984). She is a great story teller and remembers well the colonial period. She also served in the war against Idi Amin’s forces in 1979, but there’s nothing militarized about her! She’s warm, friendly and brilliant with children. Only one of her own children survived childhood, but she has raised several orphans in her family.
Asante Halima!
Chejo
Mama Pili
Mama Pili
Mama Mayasa
