Hamadi is 20 years old and was born in Dar es salaam, Tanzania. Due to poverty, he only attended primary school and then studied at an Islamic seminary for a few years. In his spare time, he enjoyed writing poetry and singing traditional Muslim songs (qasida) in Arabic and Swahili.

Last year, he moved to Moshi, Tanzania to undertake an apprenticeship in barbering, sponsored by Kijana Kwanza. Since then, he has set up his own mini salon, and offers free haircuts to orphans and street children. 

But Hamadi's real passion is writing and singing original Islamic songs in his native Swahili. The content of his performances centres on sharing his Islamic beliefs with wide audiences of Muslims and Christians in order to promote social justice, tolerance and unity. Recently, he has paired up with another student, Muslim, and together they produced 2 traditional songs to mark the beginning and end of Ramadan for Kijana Kwanza's donors.

Hamadi would like to build on his skills and produce more content. But in order to do this he needs funds to book more studio time, a professional audio-visual team and the support of a vocal coach.

Please donate to help Hamadi fulfil his dream and share his message to new audiences across East Africa and beyond. 

About Kijana Kwanza (Young People First)

Kijana Kwanza is a grassroots charity based in Moshi, Tanzania, empowering children and young people to build a future without poverty. 

We directly sponsor over 250 children and young people, most of whom are orphaned, abandoned, or from single-parent families, providing education, vocational training, apprenticeships, and leadership development.

In 2024, we benefited 16,760 Tanzanians through sponsorship, campaigns, events, and microfinance initiatives. We sponsored 250 students, operated across 12 sites, and celebrated 42 new graduates.

In addition to student sponsorship, we offer services like English and computer classes, a Study Café, hardship grants, interest-free loans, and community events to support children, young people, and families in Moshi.

For a full list of our activities, visit www.kijana-kwanza.org. 

Keep updated with our work, join our WhatsApp community group. 

For more information, you can also contact our UK Outreach Worker, Sarah Bibi, by WhatsApp on +44 7954 135 686 or email sarah@kijana-kwanza.org.