A non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the well-being of Tanzanian villagers through collaboration, bringing clean water and good education.
The Barry A. Murphy Fund is a small organization that focuses on projects with wide, long-lasting effects. Achievable Goals are determined working with the village and school leaders. The community itself invests by providing funds and labor to make a project sustainable. There must be a sense of ownership on the part of the community.
Who We Are
The Barry A. Murphy is the offspring of the dreams of Barry and Leslie Murphy who after visiting northeastern Tanzania in 1999 and falling in love with the people and the place, committed to improving the lives of the villagers of Maruvango. The disparity between the lives of their African friends and those of friends and family back home felt that untenable. Barry and Leslie felt that access to opportunities to improve the quality of life (clean drinking water, good education) is the most sustainable means of helping people in the developing world.
After Barry’s death a fund in his name was established in 2008 to bring change to this small area of Africa. Today, the fund is managed by family and by fund representatives in the U.S. and in Tanzania. Donations go directly the Barry A. Murphy Fund, a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization. We have no overhead costs. Every dollar donated to the fund goes to making the lives of the villagers better.
Our first community participation project was to bring clean, drinkable water to two villages. Clean drinking water is essential for good health. We provide health and hygiene education, while villagers provide labor, small donations, community participation and ongoing maintenance. We provide ongoing support through educational resources. Our projects focus on the changing needs of the community; ongoing dialogue is essential.
