Research

📚 Research

At ACWF (African Child Welfare Foundation), research is a cornerstone of everything we do. It is how we learn, improve, and plan effectively for the children and communities we serve. As outlined on our Home Page, this website and our network of supporters—FRIENDS OF ACWF—aim to generate real-world solutions guided by credible, practical knowledge.

🔍 Why Research Matters

We believe in action that is informed by evidence. Our work is rooted in the realities of African children, and research helps us explore those realities in depth—revealing the challenges they face and identifying the most impactful paths forward.

Research enables us to:

  • Develop better programs and project plans

  • Understand community needs and evolving contexts

  • Serve as a resource hub for students, volunteers, and development partners

  • Document best practices and areas for improvement

  • Strengthen the link between grassroots work and global learning

🧭 Research Focus Areas

We are currently building projects around the following themes:

  • Access to Quality Education in Rural Tanzania

  • Social and Emotional Wellbeing of Orphans and Vulnerable Children

  • Barriers to Girls’ Education in Low-Income Communities

  • Household Economics and the Welfare of Children

  • Impact of Coffee Farming on Family Livelihoods

  • Migration, Foster Care, and Informal Child Support Networks

  • Role of Local Schools in Community Development

These themes are being developed with flexibility to accommodate researchers and students with specific interests.

📝 Research Blueprints (Coming Soon)

We are preparing a special section on this website called Blueprints for Research, where we will publish:

  • Research concepts and ideas to inspire academic work

  • Background information and context summaries

  • Proposed methodologies and suggested outputs

These are designed for:

  • University students looking for thesis or fieldwork topics

  • Lecturers seeking relevant project topics for their students

  • Volunteer researchers who want to make a meaningful contribution

  • Institutes and think tanks working on African child development

Each blueprint will be open for collaboration, and we welcome input from partners and academics worldwide.

🤝 Collaborate With Us

Are you a student, researcher, or academic supervisor interested in African child welfare?

We invite you to:

  • Choose one of our proposed research topics

  • Share your own proposal for partnership

  • Conduct fieldwork at our project sites

  • Co-author studies, reports, and community assessments

We are committed to helping with local permissions, translation, logistical support, and access to our network of schools, children’s programs, and families.

📬 Get in Touch

For more information or to begin a research collaboration, please contact us:

📧 Email: research@acwf.or.tz
📍 Office: Moshi, Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania
🌐 Website: www.acwf.or.tz

“Research is how we listen deeply. It is how we turn questions into action and ideas into change.”