Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, located on 12 acres in
Approximately 60,000 primates are experimented on in US laboratories each year. Many of these primates are killed after testing has been completed; those that are not immediately killed live to endure more experimentation. There is no “retirement” program for laboratory primates; most are killed when their utility to their researchers 
ends but a few lucky ones do get to retire at facilities like Jungle Friends.
In addition to lab primates, there are approximately 15000 monkeys currently being kept as “pets” in the
Artumas Africa Foundation is a charitable foundation registered in Canada and the United Kingdom existing to fund and facilitate projects that build the skills, health and experiences of those living in the communities they partner with.
Calgary-based Artumas Group Inc. (AGI) initiated the Artumas Foundation to expand on its corporate social responsibility program to create a lasting legacy in East Africa. The Artumas Group continues to be the largest donor to the Artumas Africa Foundation in addition to covering all administrative expenses and providing access to heavy equipment in the region. This means that 100% of funds raised by the Foundation go directly to the projects in Africa.
AGI is one of roughly 10% of companies that provide their "legislated social investment" directly to the communities through projects that focus on their three "E's": education, entrepreneurship and electricity. The remaining 90% of companies provide their legislated investment requirement
Personal Sponsorship Program
Secondary School Commitment
The Artumas Foundation has pledged to support the building of one secondary school per year, over the next five years. Funding for construction costs has already been secured; complete with dormitories and kitchens. Your donations will help with the soft costs for the Mnolea and Umoja Secondary Schools such as desks, chairs, bunk beds, uniforms, dining tables, food and school supplies; including computers and access to electricity. Construction at Mnolea wraps up at the end of November and the timing couldn’t be better to see your donations hard at work. Construction at Umoja is expected to begin by the end of the year.
AAF’s commitment to education is critical. Tanzanian students attend primary school from age seven to 13, which is paid by the government; however, once a student reaches age 14 the government no longer covers the cost of education. Coupled with extreme poverty in the area and not enough classrooms or supplies, only nine per cent of children in Mtwara attend secondary school. The Artumas Africa Foundation and 3women believe that every school must have sufficient classrooms, adequate learning facilities, and that students should not have to walk hours every day to attend class risking their health and safety.
Supporting East Africans with grants and loans is another way that the Artumas Africa Foundation helps to grow and create vibrant communities. Based on a microfinance model, AAF loans funds to income generating projects (businesses) and grants funds to non-income generating projects (non-profit groups) through the Enterprise Development Program. Artumas and 3women strongly believe that by supporting entrepreneurs with start-up loans and grants we are creating sustainable change and moving entire communities out of poverty.
Community Business Centres (Msasi & Lindi)
Artumas’ pilot Community Business Centre project is scheduled to wrap up the end of 2008. This project has been such a success that AAF plans to build business centres in both Msasi and Lindi in 2009.
The pilot project involved the construction of two centers located in Naliendele and Mikindani villages, and the Mtwara center at the Mtwara Women Entrepreneurs Trust. AAF business centres play a key role in the development of rural communities. They provide a foundation for better education, communications and business training, as well as a source of support services, access to information, and financing or loans for small business development. By offering reasonable rents and professional management, the community centers also facilitate the co-location of many small businesses such as micro-finance organizations, telephone and internet services, among others.
There is a severe lack of vegetables in the southeastern regions of Tanzania. As a solution AAF implemented a five-hectare farm. The farm was initiated in July 2005 with the intention of increasing food production and farmers' incomes. To date, 125 men and women have learned how to grow and sell vegetables.
To encourage further growth and success in 2009, AAF will support Mchepa farmers in restructuring their businesses, allowing for more individual ownership. AAF will also facilitate the purchase of four dairy cows. This will help with fertilizer and manure problems as well as generate income from milk sales. In addition AAF will assist the farmers in setting up a small store front in one of the Community Business Centres scheduled to be constructed in 2009.
Earlier this year, Delphine Buchanan was contracted by the AAF to deliver a 3-month HIV/AIDS awareness program. The objective was to reduce or eliminate the spread of HIV and STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections) in the community of Mtwara. This awareness program was administered through workshops and partnerships with the Ministry of Health, village leaders and NGOs with the same objectives.
Hundreds of people attended these workshops, and the biggest success has been the education at the Primary and Secondary School levels. For 2009, AAF proposes to extend Delphine Buchanan’s HIV/AIDS Awareness workshop program for another three months.
Malaria Mosquito Net Program
125,000 people die from malaria each year in Tanzania and nearly two thirds of those are children. Malaria accounts for 30% of the national loss of productivity. This preventable disease kills more Tanzanian children under the age of five than any other disease.
Employees of AAF and Artumas Group Inc. participated in the ‘One Net One Life Campaign’ to fight malaria in Africa. Kingsley Holgate, one of Africa’s great humanitarian explorers, leads this mission. AAF helped the mission hand out 1800 mosquito nets in four Mtwara villages in just two days. AAF not only donated 1300 mosquito nets to this mission but staff volunteered their time to hand out the nets. The mission was a great success; AAF proposes to continue its support for this initiative in 2009.
AAF School Sponsorship Program
The Artumas Africa Foundation has received many school scholarship applications through the Enterprise Development Program. Since this is not the main function of the EDP, Artumas is proposing to establish a School Scholarship Fund for 10 students in the Mtwara and Lindi regions. The EDP steering committee will review the applications and award 10 winners each year.
For more information about AAF's current and past projects please click here.
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“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can
be judged by the way its animals are treated."
- Mahatma Gandhi