Sister Island

Sister Island is a charity project that was set up on the island of Zanzibar by two friends, Rossana Sareni and Francesca Micheli. They run a kindergarten in Nungwi with 72 children aged 3 to 6, offering education, meals and medical assistance.

The Sister Island kindergarten is located in the north of Zanzibar Island, in the village of Nungwi, in a poorly developed rural area with pockets of poverty.
The kindergarten accommodates 72 children aged between 3 and 6 years old on a daily basis and free of charge, selected in coordination with the village head (Sheha) from among the families suffering the greatest economic hardship.
The age group of the children accommodated is one of the most dispersed in the Zanzibarian territory, as there are no state schools for early childhood education.
For this reason, the existence of a structure dedicated to the youngest children, without forgetting the fundamental factor of gratuitousness, makes Sister Island a unique project of its kind.
The costs related to Sister Island's activities are manifold and are sustained thanks to different revenues:
- Free donations;
- Distance support;
- Sale of local handicrafts and clothing/accessories of the "fashion brand" Sister Island, a sartorial project that uses local labour with made in Italy design:
- Public relations in neighbouring resorts to raise awareness of responsible tourism.
The young guests of Sister Island are guaranteed
- School fees and related educational activities with local certified teacher and international volunteer teachers for specific disciplines;
- Educational materials;
- Uniforms;
- Daily meals and school trips;
- Health care.
Sister Island collaborates with other charities on the island to carry out ambitious projects, not only in the Nungwi area but also throughout Zanzibar. We have contributed to the creation of a kindergarten and a medical clinic in the Matemwe area, a village in the hinterland, far from tourist destinations and therefore in particularly difficult conditions.