Blog: Health Matters

Hope for Girls and Women Tanzania is, as its name implies, a place of hope. Girls and young women arrive at the Safe Houses daily, fleeing FGM, forced marriage and all manner of gender-based violence. Much like a family, Rhobi Samwelly and her staff provide care and comfort, but rather than putting bandages on skinned knees, they arrange medical care, support and education. The girls at the Safe Houses learn that they have value, are worthy, and are able to determine their own lives and futures. For many of them, for the first time in their lives, they dare to dream. Some of these girls want to become teachers, doctors, or other professionals and hope to influence their communities in ways to eliminate the practice of FGM. All of them want to determine their own course and are inspired by Rhobi and the staff at the Safe Houses to lead independent and productive lives. 

One of the options available to young women who arrive at the Safe Houses is vocational training. This training is particularly important in Tanzania, where students are required at the end of secondary school to pass a national exam in order to pursue higher education. Unfortunately, only about twenty-five percent of students pass the exam, resulting in far too many being left to find employment in an economy with an unemployment rate in the area of forty percent. Girls in particular are at risk in this scenario, making them vulnerable to forced marriages or prostitution in order to survive. Girls who are ready to leave the Safe Houses and are interested in working in the tourism sector are given opportunities at the organization More than a Drop. Here they receive training in everything from computer and technical skills to communication, professionalism, English language, health and hygiene, and personal development. Once skills have been acquired, these young women engage in practical training at boutique hotels and resorts in Tanzania, successfully preparing them for employment. The philosophy of More than a Drop is to ‟Empower the Disempowered,” engaging in aid that changes lives through transformation. It is a successful formula which has seen ninety percent of the graduates gain employment! More than a Drop’s focus on self reliance, sustainability, empowerment and transforming lives has resulted in many changed lives, two of which are Jackeline and Neema. 

Jackeline comes from the Serengeti and arrived at More than a Drop from the Safe House of Hope for Girls and Women Tanzania. After having successfully completing hospitality training, she began her practical training at a boutique resort and suite apartments, where she is today. She is ambitious and wants to excel, and self esteem shines from her beaming face. 

Neema's family wanted an arranged marriage for her, so after learning about Hope for Girls and Women at school one day, she ran away to the Safe House. Eventually she, too, arrived at More than a Drop, where she successfully completed hospitality training, and today is employed at a hotel in Zanzibar!

These are just two of many success stories coming from Hope for Girls and Women Tanzania and More than a Drop. Seeing the smiling, confident faces of these two young women as they embark on a future full of hope and promise shows that anything really is possible, and thanks to organizations like these, the narrative of FGM in Tanzania is changing. 

 Sources:

https://hopeforgirlsandwomen.com/

http://foundation.morethanadrop.org/