Vikuruti Village –

a rehabilitation center for people with mental illness in Dar es Salaam

The Muhimbili National Hospital facility set up the “Vikuruti rehabiliation village” in the south of Dar es Salaam. It cares for people with mental illnesses and helps them with health and professional rehabilitation. The Support for Future Foundation (S4F) manages the three-year project of the Freundeskreis Foundation, which provides better care for patients by financing specialists and repair measures in the building segment.

The aim of the Freundeskreis Foundation is to improve the living conditions of people with a mental illness and promote their participation in social life. In Dr. Sylvia Ruambo from S4F, we have found a committed partner who has not only succeeded in improving psychological care on site in Vikuruti, but also in employing an occupational therapist and a vocational training specialist. The kitchen and other buildings were completely renovated in two weeks.

In 2023, the MNH celebrated its first Mental Health Day on site in Vikuruti. This was an important step for S4F in terms of destigmatization work, which is also a concern for us as a foundation. In 2024, S4F was invited by the Tanzanian government to take part in International Mental Health Day, which has now been celebrated in 5 East African countries, to showcase the work in Vikuruti village.

In 2025, two specialists from Tanzania, a sociologist from S4F and an occupational therapist from Vikuruti visit the Freundeskreis Foundation to get to know its facilities.