EMPOWERING WOMEN AND GIRLS IN DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA
In January 2023, gdly Inc. collaborated with like-minded organizations to provide on-the-ground support and education opportunities in Tanzania. Over the course of 2.5 weeks, gdly met with 200 local girls and women through workshops based on our ISEC program. With female empowerment at the forefront of our work there, we focused on mindful leadership, self-care, purpose-driven vision, and entrepreneurship.
Our second stop was the city of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania where we worked with the Sauti ya Mtoto Foundation (SMF) and the New Hope New Winners Foundation (NHNWF) to run workshops for girls and women for four days.
DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA
Located on the Swahili coast, Dar es Salaam, also commonly known as Dar, is Tanzania’s largest city and financial hub. This bustling metropolis is the shining locus of Tanzanian arts, fashion, media, film, television, and finance. With a population of over 6 million, it is also the largest city in East Africa and one of the fastest-growing cities in the world.
PARTNERSHIPS
Sauti ya Mtoto Foundation
The Sauti ya Mtoto Foundation (SMF) is a non-profit organization founded in 2017 that operates on both grassroots and national levels in Mainland Tanzania. Sauti ya Mtoto means ‘child voice’ in Swahili and ‘the child’s voice’ is a phrase used to describe the real involvement of children and youth. Therefore, SMF advocates for children’s rights and promotes children’s voices through youth-led programs and through initiatives to end child violence, provide health education, and socioeconomically empower women and youth.
New Hope New Winners Foundation
Registered in 2014, the New Hope New Winners Foundation (NHNWF) is a non-profit NGO dedicated to the provision of protection, care, and support for children and youth. The NHNWF promotes community capacity building as well as health and well-being through advocacy and education. Their mission to relieve the suffering of vulnerable children, youth, and their families has brought the NHNWF to the forefront in the fight against child violence. Their goal is to help and ensure every child and youth is able to reach their full potential.
Only
Only is a Canadian subscription-based company that sells sustainable menstrual products. Only’s donations of sustainable menstrual pads were given out to girls and young mothers on days 3 and 4.
WORKSHOPS & TRAINING
In Dar es Salaam, we ran four one-day workshops from January 20-24 and welcomed a total of 140 girls and women. Each 3-hour workshop was based on our ISEC Program with a particular emphasis on mindfulness, self-care, and self-knowledge. The main objective was to promote female empowerment and leadership development across generations through education.
The ISEC Program
gdly's ISEC Program centers on Inner peace, Sustainability, Entrepreneurship, and Community success. It is designed to examine self-awareness, amplify compassion, and accelerate value-driven leadership skills and strategies.
The Workshops
Our first workshop ran twice: once on January 20 and again on January 21. Each day saw a new group of 50 women, aged 20-60, who were either already running a business or were aspiring entrepreneurs. In light of the numerous challenges the women faced (including issues of mental health, domestic violence, and harmful norms that prevent them from being productive in their communities), we provided training in self-care and mindfulness fundamentals, conducted discussions on community values and success, and explored the concept of ‘me to the community’—that is, how an individual can connect and extend themselves to the larger community.
Having special guests on day 2, Scholastica Pembe (Executive Director of NHNW Foundation), AJung Kim (CEO of gdly), Tarimba Gulam Abbas (Kinondoni MP), Anthony Luvanda (Board Director of Sauti ya Mtoto Foundation), and Jerusa David Kitoto (Executive Director of Sauti ya Mtoto)
On the second day, January 21, special guests Kinondoni MP Tarimba Gulam Abbas and SMF board member, motivational speaker, and Tanzanian serial entrepreneur Anthony Luvanda joined us to give congratulatory speeches. Hon. Tarimba Gulam Abbas also announced that all participants of day 2 would receive funding support of 50,000 TZS and health insurance support.
On January 22, our third day, we ran our workshop for young mothers. 15 participants, aged 18-28, trained with us in self-care, mindfulness, and mental health fundamentals.
On January 23, the fourth day, we held a workshop for girls, aged 11-14, at Kinondoni Primary School. The students participated in leadership and vision training and learned about self-care, mindfulness fundamentals, and menstrual health.
The young mothers and the girls we met on January 22 and 23 all received sustainable menstrual products donated by Only.
Comentarios