Support street-connected girls & women in Tanzania

Last month I went to Mwanza, Tanzania to visit our partner Cheka Sana and meet some of the young women who have benefited from the StreetBorn program thanks to your generosity.

On the second day of our trip we visited Dira, a young girl whose story I had written about for a BBC radio appeal and it was really special to have the chance to meet her.

She had lost both parents to HIV when Cheka Sana found her, pregnant and working on the streets. Dira joined StreetBorn and received counselling, self-defence training, life and business skills, an apprenticeship in tailoring and support as she gave birth to her son.

Like all the young women on the program, once they finish their apprenticeship, Dira was provided with a start-up kit and 6 months rent so that she could set up her tailoring business.

On the drive to her shop, we pass the shores of beautiful Lake Victoria, and then the fish market, where Cheka Sana's outreach team often finds young children working and begging. 

Upon arrival, Dira greets us shyly and busies herself making space for us all to sit. Space is limited, crowded with mannequins, sewing machines, tape measures and scissors, yet many of the shelves sit empty. In the back corner, at the foot of a mannequin, Dira's son plays quietly. Dira is in her third and final year with Cheka Sana, and you can see the warmth and familiarity between her and Cheka Sana staff workers Leah and Gloria. I know they will keep visiting her and supporting her as they do all their graduates.

Dira proudly tells us she now has 5 machines, although one is being fixed. As well as providing alterations and new clothes for her steady stream of customers she is growing a second income from training other young women, a business skill Cheka Sana taught her to develop deliberately. Customers often supply their own fabric, but Dira sells fabric too, although she is currently low on stock hence the empty shelves. We admire a half-finished dress hanging on a mannequin. Proudly, she tells us her earnings cover food, healthcare and her son's nursery fees, and allow her to contribute fully to the home she shares with her husband, who she tells us is a farmer, and her son.

When we ask what she loves most about the StreetBorn programme, she answers without hesitation: self-defence and football. She also tells us how much she loves teaching — and how it has become as important to her as the tailoring itself. As we prepare to leave, as if on cue a student arrives for her afternoon lesson. The next generation, walking through the door.

"Cheka Sana helped me a lot. They paid for my vocational training and gave me a sewing machine. Right now I am earning money. They empowered me. I know how to make clothes. I wish to support more young people like me."

Please support other girls and young women like Dira today. Thank you.

Today we want to share a story we recently received from our partner, Cheka Sana, full of transformation and encouragement. 

Monica*, 20, is from the Mara region of Tanzania - a rural area most famous for being home to the Serengeti National Park. However, Monica’s life in Mara was unimaginably hard. As a 16 year old, she was sexually abused by a teacher in her secondary school and became pregnant. When her family found out, they chased her out of home, leaving her with no protection, shelter or financial support. 

In desperation, Monica travelled from Mara to Mwanza. She found herself at the bus terminal, where a girl of a similar age found her with nowhere to go and took her to an informal settlement (ghetto) where other young women and girls were living together. She was introduced to how to survive in a new urban environment, and became involved in sex work. Her peers advised her to end her pregnancy so she could keep working and earning – so Monica had an abortion. She began using substances to cope with the trauma, and the challenges of her daily life on the streets. 

Monica had been living and working on the streets for two years and was 18 years old by the time Cheka Sana’s team met her, via a peer on the streets who had already met Cheka Sana’s outreach team. At first, she was reluctant to engage with the team, but with patience and repeated efforts to engage by Cheka Sana’s team, and encouragement by her friend, Monica decided to join the Streetborn programme. She started one-to-one counselling, and took part in weekly life skills sessions, as well as self-defence training every week. She received education in sexual and reproductive health, and was also linked up to health services. 

Monica shared with her counsellor that she was eager to restart her education, and was especially keen to join training for secretarial and computer studies so she could pursue formal employment in this sector. Cheka Sana supported her enrollment in a vocational training centre (VETA), where she completed a six-month secretarial course. During this training, Monica lived at the vocational centre’s hostel, and showed strong academic performance. She completely stopped being involved in sex work during her training.

Cheka Sana helped Monica’s find a work placement at a stationery office within the Regional Court. At the same time, Cheka Sana’s team supported family mediation, enabling communication between Monica and her parents to be restored. Her family now expresses pride in her progress and achievements.

Now, Monica is employed, living independently, and maintaining positive relationships with her family. The team at Cheka Sana are delighted to see that she is emotionally stable, responsible, and shows real commitment to her personal and professional development.

“My goal is to continue working, improve my computer skills, and build a stable future. I want to be independent, support myself, and help my family. I also want other girls to know that change is possible, even after very difficult experiences.”

Monica’s story is such an encouragement: it also demonstrates how young women who have already received support from Cheka Sana play a vital role in encouraging their peers to seek help. Now Monica wants to play the same role in the lives of other girls. 

*Name changed.