Helping rural communities thrive in Mbinga, Tanzania
Learn to Serve Community of Tanzania —LESCOTA
Established in 2012, the Learn to Serve Community of Tanzania (LESCOTA) nonprofit organization develops and leads poverty alleviating strategies for its communities. These initiatives are bringing lasting and measurable change—change that is desperately needed in the Mbinga District, Ruvuma, one of the poorest and most remote regions of Tanzania.
Education and Libraries
Education is not just a basic human right; LESCOTA believes it is fundamental to breaking the cycle of poverty and preparing Tanzanians for a vital and prosperous future. LESCOTA supports education from preschool through high school throughout the region.
The LESCOTA Free Public Library, built in 2010 serves over 21,000 people from seven villages including Macobica, Malindindo, Kitesa, Nyoni, Mapera,Mikalanga and Ulingo. Free wifi along with books, newspapers, Information and learning resources are available in print and digital formats—in both English and Swahili. It is the only free public library in the region.
Sustainable Agriculture
Agriculture sustains the livelihoods of most homes in the Ruvuma region. Traditional farming methods have supported these rural communities for centuries, however, in the face of a rapidly growing global economy and climate change, these methods are no longer as effective. LESCOTA helps provide resources to crop farmers and livestock producers shift to more sustainable ways of growing and marketing their crops and livestock.
LESCOTA’s two-hectare coffee farm and sato (tilapia) fish farm provide an ongoing source of revenue for its programs and serve as teaching farms for local schools and community members.
Covid-19 Prevention in our Communities
LESCOTA is adhering to the World Health Organization and UNICEF guidelines on COVID-19 infection prevention and control in our schools and other community projects. These guidelines emphasize the importance of good hygiene for reducing transmission by enforcing regular handwashing, ensuring daily disinfection and cleaning of surfaces, providing basic water, sanitation and waste management facilities, and following appropriate environmental cleaning and decontamination procedures.