About
Our story
Soul Ties Arusha grew out of relationships, and those relationships still shape every decision we make.
How it began
From volunteering to a structure that lasts.
Soul Ties Arusha began with time spent volunteering in Arusha in 2022. What started as a short period of work became a set of friendships that carried on afterwards, through messages, visits and personal support sent from the UK.
Over time it became clear that helping in a personal capacity had limits. Support that families could rely on — school fees paid each term, repairs completed, decisions made transparently — needed a proper organisation behind it, with accountability and governance. Soul Ties Arusha was formed for that reason.
“This is not a story about rescue.”
The families we work with were building their own futures long before we met them. Our role is to remove a few of the obstacles in the way.
Why Arusha
A city of opportunity and of pressure.
Arusha sits in northern Tanzania, a busy city with a strong economy in tourism, trade and agriculture. Opportunity there is real, but it is not evenly shared.
For some households, the costs attached to schooling, secure housing and daily essentials arrive faster than income does. A single setback — illness, lost work, a rise in rent — can interrupt a child's education for a term or longer.
We work in Arusha because that is where our relationships are, and because local knowledge and trust are what make modest support effective.
Our approach
Alongside families, over the long term.
We start with a conversation. Families describe what is standing in the way, and together we agree what support is realistic and most useful. Where something falls outside what we can do, we say so plainly.
Support is reviewed as circumstances change, and we stay in contact between decisions rather than appearing only when something goes wrong. Local relationships and local judgement guide what happens on the ground.
Our values
What guides our decisions.
Dignity first
Families are partners in decisions about their own lives, never subjects of a campaign.
Listening before acting
Support starts with conversations about what would genuinely help, not assumptions from afar.
Practical and specific
We commit to things we can deliver and follow through on, rather than broad promises.
Honest reporting
We share what we can verify, including what has been difficult or slower than hoped.
Governance
Trustees and accountability
Our Trustees
Soul Ties Arusha is governed by three trustees who oversee the charity’s activities, finances and safeguarding responsibilities.
Charity Registration
Soul Ties Arusha has applied for registration as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) in England and Wales. Registration details will be published here once confirmed.
Governance & Transparency
Our governing document and relevant reports and accounts will be made available here as appropriate.
Help create the next opportunity.
Every gift supports practical, long-term work in Arusha.