The dream of Big 5 Tanzania began in 2018, when Laura Baird and Paula Seffrood visited Tanzania to learn more about its educational system. On their return flight to the United States, they asked themselves, why stop there? The people they had met needed safe drinking water, reliable food sources, better access to healthcare, and jobs after school. It’s a complex situation that numerous national and international organizations are addressing.

What sets Big 5 Tanzania apart? We invest directly in Tanzanian people.

Baird and Seffrood returned to Tanzania in 2023 and rolled out an application process to award educational scholarships and entrepreneurial grants to individuals. Since then, Big 5 Tanzania has grown its board of directors and formed international partnerships to address food, water, and healthcare needs.

We are a nonprofit organization with volunteers in both the United States and Tanzania working together to select impactful investments and put donations to work for an immediate effect and enduring impact.