Protect Girls from FGM in Tanzania

Thanks to your support, and that of their sponsors, we are delighted to report that 9 girls from the safe house have now gone on to further studies to follow their dreams.

Rehema has joined her Pharmacy collage at Tandabui in Mwanza region, and is progressing well. Josephina, Sarah and Joyce have joined their tour guide course at Tumaini College in Arusha region and 5 girls are studying hospitality in Moshi and Zanzibar. Amina will soon start university to further her dream to be a lawyer. We will be posting further updates on their progress here soon.

But many girls are still in need of support to further their education, so if you are in a position to help it would be very much appreciated. There is more information here.

Thanks to you we are continuing to support 175 girls in our safe houses. They are all in education or vocational training. You can see my updates on all our activities here.

We have continued to do our outreach activities to educate our communities against FGM and Child Marriage. This is particularly important as we expect a cutting season in December. Our Digital Champions are a vital part of our community protection networks and so we are delighted that we have been able to expand them to Butiama and Tarime Districts. We have also been able to reach many people by participating in the Serengeti Cultural Festival and African Child Day celebration.

Poverty is one of the drivers of child marriage and FGM, and so we have been training villagers in better agriculture and how to detect pests in their main crops of cassava and maize, using a phone app called Plant Nuru.

Thank you for your support to help our girls realise their dreams.

This year, we have been continuing to rescue girls from gender-based violence with the help of local officials and Social Welfare officers. We expect to receive more cases during the next few months, but currently 61 girls reside at our Mugumu Safe House, and 56 girls reside at our Butiama Safe House. Your donations support our strained resources that ensure that these girls can be protected until they are reconciled with their families. Resources include food, shelter, medication, and health services.

Your donations not only protect girls, but also empower them for years to come. We are continuing to encourage girls to receive an education, especially when reconciliation fails. 37 girls are studying Tailoring and Entrepreneurship, with 9 girls having graduated through our Alternative Rites of Passage ceremonies. 3 girls are studying Hotel Management and Hospitality. 31 girls are receiving primary education, 35 girls are continuing their secondary education, and 1 girl is in high school. We are also continuing our sponsorship program to cover fees for their education.  

In addition, we have collaborated with Nomad and Elle Peut Naidim to educate girls on sexual reproductive health at our safe houses. Sanitary towels were also distributed after the session.

We are also delighted to share that we have launched our first Fit Persons Training with 57 people from Butiama, Serengeti, and Tarime. In collaboration with Social Welfare, we have taught these volunteers how to protect girls at risk of gender-based violence. This is a UNICEF-recommended program that encourages families to care for and support children escaping harmful situations.

We are so appreciative of your support as we continue to condemn female genital mutilation and navigate the longer-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thank you! 

Rhobi Samwelly
Hope for Girls and Women