FIT PERSONS
Safe, temporary care in a moment of crisis
When a child is found alone, exploited, or in immediate danger, safe temporary care can be life‑saving. Railway Children Africa partners with trained community members known as Fit Persons, alongside vetted short‑term residential centres, to ensure every child has a protective place to stay while tracing and family reintegration processes take place.
The Fit Person programme is a government-led initiative designed to provide family‑based, temporary alternative care for Tanzania’s most vulnerable children, especially those who have been living or working on the streets.
who are fit persons?
Fit Persons are carefully selected community members who undergo:
- Extensive social screening and vetting by government social welfare structures.
- Ongoing support and supervision from Railway Children Africa and Social Welfare Officers.
Unlike foster carers in some countries, Fit Persons are not paid, which makes support critical in sustaining these safe homes.
What fit persons provide
Fit Persons offer children:
provide safe, temporary shelter
ensure basic needs are met (food, hygiene, rest)
offer emotional reassurance for the child
work with Social Welfare Officers during tracing
support safe reintegration process
Children may stay with a fit person in the community or in approved short-term residential centres. This placemement is always temporary and focused on returning children safely to their families wherever possible.
WHY IT MATTERS
Without safe temporary care children remain vulnerable to re-exploitation and abuse, traffickers can target them and they may return to unsafe street settings
A Fit person creates a protective pause—a critical window that allows trained staff to work carefully, ethically, and safely toward long‑term solutions.
These community-led homes often offer a level of warmth, normalcy, and stability that institutional environments cannot match.
Case study: a safe pause for Musa
When 13-year-old Musa arrived at the bus terminal alone, he was distressed and disoriented. Through the Social Welfare Services Desk, he was placed with a trained Fit Person while tracing began.
Over two weeks, Musa regained stability, attended medical checks, and reconnected via phone with relatives in his home region.
Because there was safe temporary care available, tracing could be done carefully and properly, resulting in successful reunification.
Speak to us
- Msasani, Plot 25, First Floor Alfa House, New Bagamoyo Road, Tanzania
- +255 736 113 114
- RCA@railwaychildren.or.tz
Social Networks
- RailwayChildrenAfrica
- railwaychildrenafrica
- Railway Children Africa
About us
Railway Children Africa
We believe in a world where no child ever has to live on the streets.