We’re fortunate to work with IOP Germany. The IOP (Ilula Orphan Program) Germany is a donation program for orphan children in Ilula-Tanzania. The main goal of the association is to offer these children lessons in order to enable them to get a school and professional education. Ilula is the name of the village where it all started in 1998. In the meantime, the IOP has developed into an organization that helps hundreds of orphaned and vulnerable children through the sponsorship program.
In 2013 we, Jos and Irma Jansen-Schouten, traveled to Tanzania for the first time to work as volunteers. We had a very special and educational time there. The project itself, the orphan girls, the people, the colors, everything was special for us. We were very impressed by the purity of life, despite the enormous poverty. We quickly felt that this would be a special experience that would change the rest of our lives.
After the return it took a long time until we felt “at home” again. In our thoughts we only had Tanzania and the need to help urgently. We started fundraising in our family, with friends, colleagues etc. That was the beginning of the foundation of IOP Germany eV in 2015.
We have been going to Tanzania once or twice a year since 2013. We visit our students at school and at home. So we stay up to date on developments and living conditions. Every time we are there we see small improvements, which make us very happy.
