The Kilimanjaro Regional Legal Advisory Committee has rescued four children from the same family, aged between 10 and 11, after it was revealed that they had been living without parental care since February this year in Relini Street, Bomambuzi Ward, Moshi Municipality.

The children were found on August 14, 2026, living under harsh conditions and relying on food assistance from neighbors. Two of them, who are standard three pupils, had dropped out of school.

According to reports, the children's parents left for Simanjiro in Manyara Region to engage in farming activities, leaving the minors unsupervised.

The Regional State Attorney for Kilimanjaro and Chairperson of the Regional Legal Advisory Committee, Ms. Tamari Mndeme, stated that the committee identified the children were living in precarious and unsafe conditions.

"These children still require parental care and guidance, yet they were left to fend for themselves. The parents have neglected their fundamental duties and responsibilities, which is against the law," said Ms. Tamari Mndeme.

Sergeant Mwajabu Mzee, an officer from the Kilimanjaro Regional Gender and Children’s Desk, noted that a child cannot manage themselves and emphasized that parents have a duty to ensure children receive proper upbringing and protection.

For her part, the Kilimanjaro Regional Social Welfare Officer, Ms. Scolastica Swai, urged parents to fulfill their parental responsibilities and ensure their children's safety and protection, stressing that society cannot replace the role of a parent in raising a child.

The children have been taken to a safe shelter while efforts to trace their parents continue.