Biography

Abdul Hamza Hosa was just 15 years old living in an orphanage in Moshi, Tanzania when he met Scott Fifer, Executive Director of GO Campaign, who was visiting Tanzania for the first time and volunteering at the same orphanage. Abdul and his three siblings had been rescued from the streets where they slept at bus stops at night and looked for odd jobs by day in exchange for food. After Scott finished his work at the orphanage, he continued to be involved in Abdul's life, spending time with him each year in Tanzania and seeing him blossom into a young man. As a teenager, Abdul was forced to leave the orphanage with little warning and though he had to overcome many obstacles, he always seemed to find a reason to laugh and smile. Always wanting to help others, he oversaw the construction of a neighbor's house and volunteered at a local NGO championing the rights of prisoners. 

With the support of the GO Community, Abdul was able to build a house where he and his siblings could live and rent a small plot of land where he grows green peppers. With money he earned from working different construction projects, Abdul was eventually able to buy a small plot of land, and suddenly he was a vegetable grower with income! Abdul visited other GO projects in Tanzania with Scott and became inspired to help other vulnerable youth in the community by sharing what he knew about growing vegetables. He decided to rent a bigger plot of land to farm so he could hire other teens like himself who found themselves on the street and provide them with a job and a place to stay. Abdul's vision is to teach 20 youth the business and skills of vegetable harvesting with annual profits being reinvested so he can expand the vocational training to more youth in the years to come. Abdul and the youth are energized by the potential the opportunity has for vulnerable youth to make a living and sustain their lives off the streets.