Signature project · Under construction
A region of two million people, and no blood bank.
Blood cannot be manufactured — it requires individuals to donate it. After collection it is sent to a blood bank, where it is processed, stored and distributed to hospitals. The Arusha Region has no blood bank; the nearest facility is about 100 km away in the Northern Zone. We are building the first one here, with Mt. Meru Regional Hospital and the Regional Commissioner's Office.
Project summary
- Location
- Arusha, Tanzania
- Serves
- 2,000,000+Residents of the Arusha Region
- Total cost
- TZS 600M+USD 250,000+
- Status
- Plastering stage
- Still required
- TZS 342MItemised below
- Site launched
- May 2025By RI President-Elect Mário César Martins de Camargo
Why it matters
Distance is the whole problem.
A mother haemorrhaging after childbirth. A child with severe malarial anaemia. A casualty from the Arusha–Moshi road. In each case survival is measured in minutes, and in each case the blood that would save them is currently stored roughly 100 kilometres away.
A blood bank in Arusha changes three things at once: it collects locally, so donors in Arusha give in Arusha; it screens and stores locally, so units are ready before they are needed; and it issues locally, so a hospital's request is answered the same hour rather than the same day.
Who is behind it
A club project with public partners.
The blood bank is being built with Mt. Meru Regional Hospital and the Arusha Regional Commissioner's Office. That partnership is deliberate: the facility will sit inside the regional health system from the day it opens, with an owner, a staffing plan and a place in the referral chain.
In May 2025 the site was officially launched by Rotary International President-Elect Mário César Martins de Camargo, alongside the club and its partners.
Construction sequence
Where the building has reached.
In the news
The Blood Bank on screen.
The project has been covered on national television, at its official launch and out on the road at our fundraisers. Four short films, if you would rather see it than read about it.
Blood Bank site official launch
The Mayor of Arusha represented the government alongside Rotary International President-Elect Mario Camargo, Rotary District 9214 Governor Agnes Batengas, the leadership of our partners at Mt. Meru Hospital, and the Rotarians and supporters who turned out for the official launch of the site.
Watch the video →The project on national television
The Arusha Blood Bank has been featured on national television, in leading magazines, on major radio stations and across social media, reaching audiences throughout the country. That visibility is the power of collective impact — and the invitation now extends to you. Join us. Support us. Save lives.
Watch the video →Walk & Run for the Blood Bank
A community walk and run held in Arusha to raise funds for the blood bank.
Watch the video →Construction under way at the site
Footage from the site as the building advances through its construction stages.
Watch the video →Questions before you give
Talk to the project team.
Corporate donors, foundations, partner Rotary clubs and anyone considering a global grant contribution are welcome to ask for the drawings, the bill of quantities, the partnership agreements or a site visit. We would rather answer questions than assume trust.