Founders
Aid Tanzania was founded by Wantay and Tina Irmakesen in December 2007 and is a registered public charity or 501 (c)(3) organization in the US. Wantay is Maasai from the Ngorongoro district of Tanzania. Beginning in late 2010, they moved to Karatu, Tanzania for 9 years with their young daughter establishing a local NGO, Kiretono Resource Organization. Through funding provided by Aid Tanzania, Kiretono established a women's enterprise program and an after school tutoring and residential program for girls. Kiretono also organized no-cost health screenings for hundreds of Ngorongoro residents. The Tanzania based NGO distributed ceramic pot filters, and low smoke, efficient wood burning cooking stoves to improve the health of its pastoralist beneficiaries. Today, Aid Tanzania is a customer of the same women using proceeds from selling the crafts in the US to sponsor girls' secondary and post-secondary education.
