KYGN Today
Kilimanjaro Young Girls in Need (KYGN) is a community-led charity in Mabogini, Tanzania. Our work includes education, child protection, healthcare access and livelihood support for vulnerable families.
Our education programme is delivered through the Tumaini Foundation, a not-for-profit registered school providing pre-primary and primary education to 420 children. Most students receive free quality education, including materials, uniforms, food and transportation.
KYGN is supported by GAGA UK, a registered UK charity. GAGA UK helps fund teacher salaries, classroom materials, school meals, and the operation of the Safe House.
In the beginning
Annamaria Kanondo grew up in Moshi and would often visit her family’s farm in the nearby rural area of Mabogini. She was struck by the poor conditions in which girls were living. 
In Mabogini, many children, often girls, had no access to education at all, keeping them in the cycle of poverty. Annamaria founded KYGN in 2006, when she was 23, to improve opportunities through education. 
As KYGN worked closely with the community and witnessed the depth of poverty in the area, the charity expanded its purpose and also embraced vulnerable boys.
The first school
Determined to act, Annamaria used savings and support from friends and family to open a small primary school in Mabogini.
Enrollment quickly rose from the initial 20 pupils to 60, with overflow classrooms built from whatever materials were available.
Building the new school
Realizing the need for a proper facility, Annamaria embarked on fundraising. Over five years, she secured enough funds to construct four classrooms. In April 2014, the official Tumaini school building was opened.
In 2016, KYGN established a safehouse that can accommodate up to 50 children, offering the most at-risk children a secure home while long-term solutions are found.
Now, the Tumaini Foundation has two buildings with thirteen classrooms. The school also includes offices for teaching and administrative staff, a library, and a kitchen providing fresh breakfast and lunch daily. 
KYGN in 2025
Twenty years after that first visit, KYGN now serves over 900 students across primary and secondary education. The school teaches in English from nursery, and many students have gone on to higher education and the workforce.
At the heart of KYGN’s work is the Tumaini Foundation, a not-for-profit registered school providing pre-primary and primary education (including support such as materials, uniforms, food and transportation for most students). 
Beyond education, KYGN acts as a community social service, collaborating with village chairmen and local authorities to support at-risk families. KYGN also supports graduates and assists parents in starting small businesses through microloans.
KYGN’s wider programmes include secondary education sponsorship, healthcare support, livelihood development, and a Safe House that provides temporary safe accommodation for children at risk while a long-term solution is found (it is not an orphanage). 
In 2019, Tumaini Foundation’s first primary school class took the national exam and all 28 students achieved the grade needed to attend public secondary school, placing Tumaini Foundation in the top 10 in the Kilimanjaro area across private and public schools
The road to sustainability
KYGN’s vision is to become fully self-sustaining. As Tumaini Foundation has grown, so has its reputation as a quality school in the area, and many new students now pay a small annual fee.
On land donated to KYGN, it generates income through a tilapia fish farm and by selling maize and onions, as well as operating a chicken farm. 
KYGN still relies on external support to fund teachers’ salaries, build new classrooms, and provide essentials such as food, clothing, and learning materials to students in need. However, each year KYGN gets closer to becoming a more self-sustaining organisation.
Support KYGN
KYGN has achieved so much thanks to the generosity of individuals and organisations around the world. We wouldn’t have got where we are today without their support.
You can make a difference today — whether by sponsoring a child’s education, donating toward infrastructure, or volunteering your time and skills. Every little helps.
Join us in giving the children of Mabogini a chance at a brighter future.
