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The following list of items are those things which can be accepted by UTSS for shipment to Tanzania:

• LONG-SLEEVED SHIRTS - must be light-weight and definitely LONG-SLEEVED. No T-shirts or short-sleeved shirts can be accepted. Light colours are best as they reflect the sun.
• SUNSCREEN LOTION - must have a minimum Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 - the higher the SPF, the better. All bottles must be new and unopened. NO AEROSOL CONTAINERS PLEASE, due to shipping regulations. Please seal each bottle in a zip-lock bag before mailing as this reduces the risk of leaking during transport.
• NEW glasses frames and / or prescription lenses are accepted. - While UTSS is not qualified to prescribe or provide prescription glasses in any fashion, Dr. Rebecca Kammer is. She is an optometrist and Low Vision specialist who currently volunteers to take care of all UTSS eye care needs for PWA in Tanzania. You can contact her at rkammer@scco.edu
• No used prescription glasses can be accepted. - Due to the unique visual considerations related to the albino eye, most used prescriptions would not be suitable for their low vision needs. Dr. Kammer does not work with used prescription glasses due to the administrative burden of sorting and matching the unique PWA low vision requirements.
• SUNGLASSES - can be "used", but must be clean and in good condition.
• MAGNIFIERS - small hand-held magnifiers are accepted. PLEASE NOTE that UTSS does not accept battery-operated "flashlight" magnifiers or stand-alone desk magnifiers. UTSS is also unable to accept prescription lenses/glasses/spectacles of any kind for delivery to Tanzania.
• NO SCHOOL SUPPLIES of any kind will be accepted for several reasons:
  • They are easily purchased in Tanzania while supporting the local economy.
  • Shipping costs are higher than the value of these goods.

US mailing address:

Under The Same Sun c/o Mike's Parcel Pickup 183 W. Stutsman Street Pembina, ND 58271-4100

Canadian mailing address:

Under The Same Sun c/o Multicultural Family Centre 51 Morrow Avenue Winnipeg, MB R2M 1A5

Once goods arrive at either of the above addresses, they will be shipped via secure transport to the UTSS office in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for distribution to people with albinism.

Shipping from Outside North America:

UTSS is not set up at this time to provide shipping outside of North America so your only options are to ship directly to our office in Tanzania or to our USA address listed above.

Prior to shipping directly to Tanzania please email our office via the website and request a contact name and phone number of a UTSS employee that you can attach to your package. This will ensure that our office is contacted when your package reaches the port in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Then send the package to:

Tanzania mailing address:

Under The Same Sun, Taasisi Road, Mikocheni B, Kwa Warioba, PO Box 32837, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Once your goods have been secured by our office in Tanzania, they will be personally distributed to people with albinism by our UTSS staff members.
 

At UTSS, we understand in today's world why people ask this question. Please be assured that Under The Same Sun is a Canadian federally-registered charity and is in accordance with The Income Tax Act of Canada. We also have a 501(c)(3) exempt organization in the US known as "Under the Same Sun Foundation (USA)" for our US donors. Furthermore, UTSS is also registered and recognized under The Non-Governmental Organizations Act, 2002 of the United Republic of Tanzania. All funds donated go directly to assist persons with albinism in Tanzania - they are not used for administrative purposes.
 

Under The Same Sun works with several schools in Tanzania which are currently assisting children with albinism to remain safe and to receive an education.

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide mailing addresses for the schools at this time.
Due to unreliable delivery systems, mail is often delayed, lost or stolen. It is best to send any physical items listed in FAQ #1 to the US and Canadian addresses listed in FAQ #2. From there, items will be shipped directly to the UTSS office in Dar es Salaam from where they will be transported directly to the individual schools by local UTSS staff.
 

Under The Same Sun accepts credit card donations through our website: Click here to donate

Cheques should be made payable to Under The Same Sun and can be mailed in US or CDN dollars to: Suite #400, 15225 – 104 Avenue, Surrey, BC CANADA, V3R 6Y8.
 

Under The Same Sun is not involved in or with any adoption procedures or agencies in Tanzania. As a result, we cannot offer any advice or information on this subject.
 

Due to security concerns, we are not able to release the contact details of individual persons with albinism in Tanzania.

In addition, Please be aware that the vast majority of Tanzanians do not speak or read the English language. Although English is spoken more frequently in business, governmental and tourism realms, the official language of Tanzania is Kiswahili.
 

At this time, all donations will go directly to sponsoring education for persons with albinism in Tanzania as a general donation. Due to the urgency of the situation as well as security precautions, we are not able to assign donors to a student with whom they can be in personal contact. Their identity and location are frequently hidden to prevent further risk.
 

We admire your passion and desire to join UTSS in this very significant cause.

UTSS does not have a volunteer program at this time nor do we have job positions available in our Tanzanian office. We employ only Tanzanian citizens with a preference given to persons with albinism. I'm sure you will understand our reasoning for this. As for our Canadian office, we are very small and fully staffed
You may want to consider initiating a fund raiser in your area as a way of getting involved and to increase awareness. See FAQ #14 for more information.
 

Academic / research internships with the UTSS office in Tanzania are offered on a very limited basis (1 or 2 per year) and available only to persons with albinism (PWA) who are also college or university students in Tanzania.

All the resources and efforts of UTSS are confined to the country of Tanzania itself, due to the severity of the crisis that exists there. As you may know, there are tens of thousands of PWA in Tanzania alone.

At this time, all Under The Same Sun (UTSS) resources are directed to over 300 Education Scholarship Fund (ESF) students, all of whom are PWA in Tanzania. The number of ESF students will increase in future academic years and so this will remain the primary target of UTSS resources.
 

We are not able to sponsor other NGOs, artists, athletes or other professional or personal causes. While we deeply value the contributions of these groups, and occasionally ally with them, we are not able to offer financial support. It is our hope that these groups are self motivated in their desire to serve the cause of persons with albinism (PWA) in Tanzania with whatever resources available to them.

All the resources and efforts of UTSS are confined to the country of Tanzania itself, due to the severity of the crisis that exists there. As you may know, there are tens of thousands of PWA in Tanzania alone.

At this time, all Under The Same Sun (UTSS) resources are directed to over 300 Educational Scholarship Fund (ESF) students, all of whom are PWA in Tanzania. The number of ESF students will increase in future academic years and so this will remain the primary target of UTSS resources.
 

Education Scholarship Funding (ESF) is only available to persons with albinism (PWA) in Tanzania. We are not able to sponsor education for PWA in other countries at this time. If you are a PWA living in Tanzania and are interested in being sponsored for education, please contact us from this website and we will forward your request to our office in Dar es Salaam.

All the resources and efforts of UTSS are confined to the country of Tanzania itself, due to the severity of the crisis that exists there. As you may know, there are tens of thousands of PWA in Tanzania alone.

At this time, all Under The Same Sun (UTSS) resources are directed to over 300 Educational Scholarship Fund (ESF) students, all of whom are PWA in Tanzania. The number of ESF students will increase in future academic years and so this will remain the primary target of UTSS resources.
 

We do not ship sunscreen to individuals or groups. Our sunscreen supply is very limited and only available in Tanzania to persons with albinism (PWA) who are enrolled in our Education Scholarship Fund (ESF) program. We also try to distribute sunscreen to all PWA who visit our office in Dar es Salaam, if our supply allows.

All the resources and efforts of UTSS are confined to the country of Tanzania itself, due to the severity of the crisis that exists there. As you may know, there are tens of thousands of PWA in Tanzania alone.

At this time, all Under The Same Sun (UTSS) resources are directed to over 300 Educational Scholarship Fund (ESF) students, all of whom are PWA in Tanzania. The number of ESF students will increase in future academic years and so this will remain the primary target of UTSS resources.
 

A fundraiser in your area is a great way to do awareness raising and advocacy at the same time.

Venues: Often religious groups, community clubs (ie. Lions), special interest groups (ie. disability, human rights), schools and work places are great venuesfor such an event. An online campaign is another idea via email, facebook or twitter, etc.

Resources: Please inform yourself properly before going into a fundraiser by browsing our website, especially the RESOURCES page.

-UTSS has produced a professionally made, 59 minute, HD quality documentary called White & Black: The Slaughter of African Albinos. It is available on DVD in English, French & Kiswahili, in both formats: NTSC (North America) & PAL (Europe, Africa and Asia). For a complimentary copy to show at your fundraiser, contact Emily Gremm at emily@theashteam.com

-Feel free to use any of the information on our website to make your own posters, brochures or other informational / promotional literature.

-Our Canadian office also has several informational brochures which we would be happy to mail out to you. Contact Emily Gremm at emily@theashteam.com

DONATION FAQ's you need to know:
FAQ#1 - Which items can be shipped to Tanzania?
FAQ#2 - To where do I ship the above items?
FAQ#3 - Is Under The Same Sun a "legitimate" charity and are my donations being used honestly?
FAQ#5 - How do I send monetary donations to UTSS?

ALL DONATIONS WILL GO TO Under The Same Sun's Education Scholarship Fund (ESF) which offers education grants to keen and dedicated students with albinism who demonstrate a need for financial or other schooling assistance. These grants are given to children, youth and adults at all levels - from primary to post secondary institutions in Tanzania.

This year, the ESF has provided significant relief to several over populated government boarding schools for disabled children in which students with albinism were placed for “sanctuary”. These schools are more like refugee camps for internally displaced persons. One compound, designed for 38 children, housed 106 kids with albinism PLUS the pigmented kids with disabilities that were already there. The schools have also become “drop off zones” for families who do not want their children with albinism. This becomes apparent during school breaks when many of the students with albinism have no families calling or picking them up to take them home for the holidays. Our ESF staff are taking children from the overcrowded government schools and relocating them to the best private boarding schools in Tanzania. We will continue to do this to the best of our abilities. Your shared concern for people with albinism in Tanzania makes you a partner of UTSS in this vital cause.
 

Please accept our sincere gratitude for your donation and concern related to people with albinism in Tanzania.

Unfortunately, sending an acknowledgment for each donation is too administratively intensive at this time. UTSS has offices in Canada and Tanzania. Mike's Parcel Pickup is a USA based postal service that we set up to save our American supporters the cost of international shipping. While we do keep regular contact with Mike's Parcel Pickup, the shipped donations are accumulated and then repackaged for shipment to Tanzania via a US shipping company.

We apologize for our administrative limitations in this matter.

On behalf of all of us at UTSS, thank you for having made yourself an ally of this great cause.
 

NEW glasses frames and / or prescription lenses are accepted.

While UTSS is not qualified to prescribe or provide prescription glasses in any fashion, Dr. Rebecca Kammer is. She is an optometrist and Low Vision specialist who currently volunteers to take care of all UTSS eye care needs for PWA in Tanzania. You can contact her at rkammer@scco.edu

No used prescription glasses can be accepted.

Due to the unique visual considerations related to the albino eye, most used prescriptions would not be suitable for their low vision needs.

Dr. Kammer does not work with used prescription glasses due to the administrative burden of sorting and matching the unique PWA low vision requirements.

Sunglasses - can be “used” but must be clean and in good condition.

Magnifiers - small, hand-held magnifiers are accepted.

PLEASE NOTE that UTSS does not accept battery-operated “flashlight” magnifiers or stand-alone desk magnifiers.