Gender Equality Tanzania, United Republic of Project #16843

Protect Girls from FGM in Tanzania

by Tanzania Development Trust

Project Report | Jun 24, 2020
Protecting girls from FGM during COVID

By Rhobi Samwelly | Project Leader

Making Masks

COVID

The COVID pandemic has increased the danger of FGM here. Schools were unexpectedly closed in March because of COVID. The cutting season started in early April.

We managed to rescue a total of 55 girls, 6 girls found had been cut already, There are 118 FGM cases confirmed in the villages.

There was a confirmed COVID case very near to Mugumu Safe House. We have worked very hard to keep the girls in our care safe, by restricting the number of staff and others coming in as much as possible.

We have postponed all outreach work for now, and transformed the vocational classroom into a quarantine area for the new girls rescued from the villages to stay. We have introduced more hand washing, but social distancing is a huge problem when overcrowding means girls are sleeping 3 to a bed.

Schools will reopen next week, and so we hope that we will be able to restart the reconcilation process with gir's' families and some of them will be able to return home.

As there have been no tourists in Serengeti we have been unable to sell the bags and other goods we make to raise income, which has been a challenge, but we have been making face masks instead.

We have participated in two webinars about how COVID is impacting the fight against FGM. You can watch the recording of the webinar here.and see Rhobi’s presentation here.

Hope selected as FAWCO Health Target Project

We were delighted to be selected as the Health Target Project by FAWCO in March. Founded in 1931, FAWCO is an international network of independent volunteer clubs and associations comprising 60 member clubs in 30 countries worldwide. They are fundraising to support Hope for the next 3 years. More detail here and to follow.

Another award for Giselle's Film

Defying the Cutting Season, the shortened version of In the Name of Your Daughter, the award winning film featuring Rhobi's work, was awarded the Best Featured Documentary at the recent OneWorld Media awards. Congratulations to everyone involved.

Visualisations of our work

We were selected to be featured as Viz5 MakeoverMonday, where data analysts visualise data related to gender equality. You can see some of the amazing results and learn more here.

Research project with Nottingham University

We have been selected to participate in a research project on factors influencing FGM by Nottingham University starting this month. This will involve our Digital Champions surveying attitudes and other factors in the villages where they live.

The last few months have been extremely challenging for everyone in the world, and we sincerely hope you and your loved ones are safe and well, and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support, particularly during these difficult times.

Film Award

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Feb 28, 2020
Presenting our work on Feb 6th zero tolerance day

By Janet CHAPMAN | Project Leader

We were delighted to be invited to present our work at the Zero Tolerance event organised by UNFPA in Dar es Salaam on February 6^th. Rhobi was part of the panel and talked about our work. She was accompanied to Dar by Christina, a former cutter who Rhobi persuaded to destroy her tools and stop this practice.

Christina had never been to Dar before, and had never travelled by plane, so it was a very exciting experience for her. When she saw the air stewardesses in their smart uniforms she asked Rhobi whether any of them were Kuria like them. When Rhobi answered no, Christina started to cry. “We have so much still to learn” she said.

Listen to Rhobi and Christina's story from Mugumu here: https://youtu.be/IF5A8oVCCBI

Persuading cutters, or Ngaribas, to stop the practice is an important part of the fight against FGM.

Ngaribas are appointed by the village leaders. Families pay them approximately $15 to cut one girl, $5 dollars of this is given to the village leaders. These are large amounts of money to subsistence farmers in the villages of Mara.

One reason girls are cut is because cut girls fetch between 10 and 12 cows when they are married, but uncut girls fetch only 4 to 6 cows for their family. As each cow is worth around $100 this is significant for families living in extreme poverty.

Hope’s outreach work on the effects of FGM and through roadshows, traditional dance festivals, village community forums, and film screenings is beginning to pay off. We have managed to change many people’s attitudes and stop the tradition of Female Genital Mutilation in many families in the villages.

Particularly importantly we have managed to persuade 6 cutters to ceremonially destroy their tools and stop cutting girls. These cutters are now helping girls not to be cut in their communities by helping them reach the safe house and providing anti-FGM education to the community.

This is a brave step for these women, and not always supported by their family or husband, who miss the income and status their role brought. Hope has worked with them, educating them on how to start alternative small businesses selling cereals in the market, and provided them with capital of £220 to do this.

Christina was previously a Ngariba in the village of Kebanchabancha. She attended one of the anti-FGM road shows and as a result she decided to stop cutting and publicly destroyed her tools. Although this resulted in Christina losing her source of income, divorce from her husband, and having to move away from her village, she says she has no regrets about this important decision. Christina now supports the Hope team’s work of re-education of those involved in cutting.

We know of 40 cutters who are still operating, who we still need to persuade to drop their tools. But we salute the following women who have seen the light and stopped cutting.

We have also been busy updating our website. We hope you like it!

Please check it out here

https://hopeforgirlsandwomen.wordpress.com/

And thank you again for your generosity to help protect girls from FGM in Tanzania..

Rhobi Samwelly

Project Leader

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Dec 3, 2019
Getting ready for the cutting season in December

By Rhobi Samwelly | Project Leader

Learning cooking skills

Right now we have 95 girls in our care, but the cutting season is starting this week so we are expecting more soon.

We have total of 52 girls staying at Hope Mugumu Safe house, where 16 at VTC class, 7 at day primary school,15 at Secondary government school, where 4 are at boarding secondary school ,4 are at primary boarding ,3 children are not at school, because are waiting to give the testimony to the court. Two young women GBV Survivors received at Hope center and their reconciliation between their families is conducted by Police gender desk/ District social welfare. 2 Girls passed to join form one in 2020. Basic needs such as food and medication provided to girls.

We have the total number of 43 children at Safe Butiama among them 3 are still young kids who are still under special parental care, the remaining number is 40 among them 18 are doing their primary school education, 6 are doing their secondary school education and 13 are doing their vocational training on Tailoring, entrepreneurship skills and other self-reliance activities. Food and other basic needs for girls were provided. 3 girls experienced rape violence, were brought by Police gender desk from Butiama and Bunda District waiting for their cases at the court. 2 Girls passed to join form one in 2020.

Hope Mugumu Safe house has 16 students at VTC, where 5 girls will be graduating on 29^th of November 2019. 4 girls their reconciliation was successfully. The following topics were taught to girls such as Batik making, Women Handbag making, laptop bags, soap making for hand wash and toilet soap and cookery. Girls enjoyed cooking pan cake with a help from Shefa from Fourseasons.

Butiama Safe house has 13 students at vocational class. These girls will continue with their studies at vocational class. The following topics were taught-; Drees making, shirt making, batik and soap making. Cookery subject was taught on how to Frying ground nuts, frying chapels, Frying Irish potatoes and Cooking French fries.

HGWT Social welfare officer in collaboration with social worker, police gender desk and district social welfare conducted reconciliation between girls and their parents and succeed 5 girls will be taken back home after their VTC graduation ceremony on 29 of November 2019.

INCOME GENERATING PROJECT FROM VTC - HGWT.

Through established income generating project, VTC teachers with girls has managed to make women hand bags, eprons, table mats, toilet and washing soap, batik and embrodery materials.

GARDENING AND AGRICULTURE:

Gardening activities continuing in our garden, we have grown different vegetables, such as spinach, mchicha, onions, tomatoes and watermelon using organic farming. We have grown 2 acters of cassava, sweet potatoes, maize and millet in our new land.

A GIRL CHILD DAY AND OTHER COMMUNITY INTERVENTION:

Hope for Girls and Women in Tanzania through support from Canadian Embassy Tanzania organized and conducted a girl child day at Kiabakari secondary school, where more than 2800 students participated. Film screening in different villages and schools conducted to create awareness on the effects of FGM.

ENTERPRENEURSHIP TRAINING – WOMEN CONNECT

HGWT through Hope Mugumu Safe house has managed to train 37 members of women and children committee from 37 villages in Serengeti District. The training was officially opened by Serengeti District Executive Director. Hope staff also participated in this special training. Through support from Women Connect TZS 1,920,000 /= will support Microfinance establishment following Wabiya system. Follow up mapping training was conducted and on how to work with ODK forms to collect data.

We also gave special Mapping training to Masanga staff, Tarime social welfare, Tarime police gender desk and 3 staff from Butiama Safe house on how to use maps to help protect girls.

LAND SURVEY:

Survey work started at Matare village to develop town planning, survey and title at the location where we want to build a permanent Safe House to replace the rented building we are currently using in Mugumu. The plan is already designed and submitted to Serengeti council wait for approval from Council after their meeting plan to take place on 23 and 24^th of November 2019.

ESTABLISMENT OF KURYA CULTURAL CENTER:

Hope Mugumu Safe house has managed to establish kurya cultural center in order to promote kurya culture which promote women and girl’s rights and protect our community at larger. Through this kurya cultural center we aim at creating awareness to our community and visitors about the effects of traditions and customs which hindering girls and women rights such as FGM, Early child marriages, women battery etc. In the kurya cultural center we have Hope cultural dance group which help to create awareness to the community about the effects FGM and Gender Based violence to community at larger. Mama Muhabe Marwa is working to this cultural center to explain about kurya traditional tools. Mama Muhabe is one of among 6 cutters who dropped down their tools and stop cutting girls after being sensitized about the effects of FGM and health implications to women and girls. The traditional dance group is motivated well trained, available and ready to work any time to deliver ant FGM messages to community and visitors.

MANY VISITORS VISITED HGWT.

Hope for Girls and Women in Tanzania, through Hope Mugumu Safe house received visitors from Netherland – Nicola and Karin, Sospiter from TCDC, Anifa.M. Said from interland surveyor from Dodoma, Vaineme Marite, Chareen, Rebecca, Gleri from Australia, Millie, Ollie, Jason and Daniel from Fourseasons, Allan Cram and Dan from UK.

SUPPORT AND AIDS:

We have received food and sanitary items aid from Four seasons on 26^th October 2019, the items received includes: Rice 100 kg, Beans 100 kg, Maize Flour 100kg, Sugar 50kg, Cooking oil 20 liters, Bar Soap 2 cartons, Body cream 1 dozen, Tooth paste 2 dozen and Pads 5 pc.MrAlan Cram supported Hope Mugumu safe house with 20 buskets and 20 pairs of sandles to Butiama Safe house.

ABOUT FGM SITUATION:

Due to the information’s received from good people whom fight against FGM and gender based violence that have received the secret information’s from traditional leaders, that there will be a very secret cutting to Wairege and bamera. The information received from informers from Serengeti, Butiama and Tarime Districts. From November to December the cutting will start to these 2 kuryan clan when school holiday start. We are ready to receive girls whom will flee from FGM.

CHALLENGES:

The following challenges

Water problem

Butiama safe house is facing water problem, where girls have to walk long distance looking for water.

School desks is still a challenge, where some students are sitting down at Kyabakari– Butiama District.
Funds to support construction of our permanent buildings.
One vehicle is a challenge to serve in two districts.
Market for our VTC and garden products

WAY FORWARD/FUTURE PLANS:

To fund raise for our permanent building construction
To fundraise for vehicle, need to different donors.
To develop staff training strategy
Support and protect girls fee from FGM
Conduct community intervention in Butiama and Serengeti
Conduct water survey to Matare land
Land survey continue work.
Support 4 girls to get scholarship to join private secondary school in 2020
Conduct graduation for girls completed their VTC skills in November 29.

SUGGESTIONS/RECOMMENDATION:

Requesting Fourseasons to support Hope to find market for VTC and gardening products.
Welcoming ideas for fundraising to support construction of permanent buildings and VTC from friends, companies, Donors etc.

We thank everyone for their generous support this year and wish you well for the holiday season.

Primary girls

Sewing class

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