The Olive Branch for Children (TOBFC) Kubuni Grants program provides vulnerable community members with individualized direct support through grants and mentorship services. Through this program TOBFC helps vulnerable people address barriers that prevent them from attaining financial security.

 

Our Community Care workers refer individuals to this program from our Team Hope and Food Support programs. Most people referred to the Kubuni Grants program are facing at least one unique barrier that prevents them from working and that they are unable to overcome on their own. Many of these individuals live with a medical challenge that prevents them from working.

 

Kubuni Grants provide strategic assistance to address individual barriers to employment and enable people to achieve financial autonomy. There are many examples of how Kubuni Grants have empowered vulnerable people. One father could not work due to health effects related to a condition he could not afford to treat. Thanks to a Kubuni Grant that funded his medical care, he is now healthy and back to farming to support his entire family. Another grant was provided to a young woman with no financial support network and a health condition that impeded her academic progress. She wanted to open a village agro store but needed to complete a required certificate in agriculture and animal husbandry. A Kubuni Grant financed the certificate and business start-up costs and now she operates a successful store and is financially independent. These are just two examples of how a one-time strategic investment in an individual moves people from our subsidized Community Care programs to achieve dignity and financial independence.

 

All grant recipients are provided with support from our Social Care team to ensure best practices are maintained and the best possible results are achieved. Since the inception of the Kubuni Grants program, TOBFC has provided more than 50 grants ranging from C$100 – C$1000.

 

Kubuni Grants transform the lives of individuals and families in the Mbeya region, helping people create a dignified life that holds promise for their future. Many of the grants have supported vulnerable women and their children, addressing gender equity and fostering financial autonomy. Grants have also helped people overcome health challenges and poverty, again demonstrating how interconnected the issues are that TOBFC helps communities address.​​​