In her words
I'm Prisca Lema, Founder and Executive Director of Iyanna Foundation.
I grew up as an orphan in Arusha, Tanzania. I know what it feels like to face hardship at a young age, to wonder whether anyone sees your potential, and to discover how one person’s kindness can change the direction of your life. I would not be where I am today without people who believed in me when I had very little.
That experience became the foundation of my life’s purpose.
I founded Iyanna Foundation so that children—especially girls growing up in vulnerable circumstances—can have the same opportunity to dream, learn, and build a better future.
I often say:
“Every move on the chessboard is a lesson in how to face life beyond it.”
After earning my degree in Leadership and Governance from MSDC, I began serving my community informally in 2018. I spent time listening to young mothers, vulnerable girls, and families—not assuming what they needed, but asking them. Their stories revealed the painful realities of teenage pregnancy: interrupted education, social stigma, poverty, and limited opportunities.
When Iyanna Foundation was officially registered in 2021, our dream was to establish a residential safe house where young mothers could find protection, healing, and a second chance.
As our work grew, we learned an important lesson about sustainable impact. Building and operating a safe house required resources beyond what we could responsibly sustain. Rather than abandon our mission, we adapted it.
We shifted our focus toward prevention while continuing to support young mothers through a trusted network of referral partners.
That decision led us to something remarkable: chess.
What many people see as just a game, we see as a powerful classroom for life. Chess teaches children to think critically, solve problems, make thoughtful decisions, remain patient under pressure, and understand that every choice has consequences. Around every chess lesson, we weave life-skills education, leadership, confidence-building, and character development.
Over time, another truth became clear.
A child’s future cannot be transformed without strengthening the family that surrounds them.
Today, Iyanna Foundation works with both children and their caregivers. We help children stay in school, develop life skills, and discover their potential while empowering parents through training, financial literacy, savings groups, and livelihood opportunities that build stronger, more resilient households.
Everything we do is guided by one simple promise:
Tuwalinde na Tuwaelimishe — Protect and Educate Them.
These are more than words. They are the reason I wake up every morning.
I believe every child deserves someone who believes in them. Every girl deserves the opportunity to stay in school and shape her own future. Every family deserves the chance to become stronger.
Because when we protect children, educate them, and empower the families who raise them, we don’t just change individual lives—we transform communities for generations.
Be part of the next chapter.
Sponsor a child, partner with us, or reach out to say hello.