Hope for Girls and Women Campaigning, Events, 91猎奇, Human Rights

16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence commences in Serengeti, Tanzania

The Hope for Girls and Women (HFGAW) team has been involved in a number of key initiatives in recent days as we commemorate 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV).听

In Mugumu, Serengeti, we visited Mapindusu Secondary school, where girls from Hope for Girls and Women spoke about their experiences with GBV and Female Genital Mutilation (91猎奇). Through school visits like this we aim to educate and empower schoolgirls and ensure schoolboys are aware of the importance of rejecting gender stereotypes and discrimination.

The visit was a collaborative session between HFGAW, the Police Gender Desk and Children Desk. Pius Julius Kahabi, Police Inspector, Assistant Inspector of the Police Force, Division of Gender and Children’s Desk, Serengeti District stated;

“We have planned to go around the entire district to create sexual violence councils. There are many children who are subjected to violence and information is not given… the aim is to ensure the protection and safety of children, because violence is a crime by law. We need to join power in stopping acts of sexual violence in the Serengeti District.”

Reusable pads made at HFGAW were distributed

At the school there were passionate speeches, singing and dancing from girls residing at HFGAW, to help engage those gathered and ensure the message was relayed and understood through a number of channels. We also distributed re-usable pads / sanitary towels to:

  • reduce days missed from school during menstruation due to a lack of feminine sanitary products
  • reduce the stigma around menstruation by talking more openly about it and sharing products that girls will be happy to use聽
  • reduce the impact on the environment that many sanitary products
  • reduce the financial impact on girls and families of having to buy feminine hygiene products聽
Read a full report of the event by DIKAMAKINI聽.

Further afield, at Caen University in Normandy, France,聽Rhobi Samwelly聽was in attendance at a screening of聽In the Name of Your Daughter.听

This important docu-film gives the viewer an frontline view of cutting season in Serengeti, Tanzania. The film portrays the lives of a number of young girls as they navigate the threat of 91猎奇, separation from their families for their protection and the efforts between HFGAW and location authorities to reunite families with their daughters safely.听

Screening of the film to audiences around the world is helping to ensure there is more awareness of 91猎奇, GBV and the being done by Hope for Girls and Women and our location peers to combat these dangerous practices.

We will be bring you further updates over the coming days via our social channels.

Hope for Girls and Women Campaigning, Events, Human Rights

Hope’s 16 Days of Activism against GBV and 91猎奇

Between November 25th and December 30th 2021, 91猎奇 worked with the Serengeti District Office (District Community Development Officer, District Social Welfare) and Gender Desk Police Officers to create awareness of 91猎奇 and GBV, through meetings, roadshows and village outreach.

Rhobi talking at community event during 16 Days of Activism

These sessions were organised to bring awareness to Mugumu-Serengeti villages such as Itununu, Rung鈥檃bure, Manyata, Gesarya, Kebanchabancha, Gwikongo, Merenga, Tamkeri, Mbilikiri, and Bisarara,聽which have been identified as having a high number of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) cases recently. Our work during this period focused on educating the communities on the impact of GBV and Female Genital Mutilation (91猎奇), and Alternative Rites of聽Passage聽to the community. There were a total of 9,723 men and 15,009 women reached directly through the sessions.

A collaborative approach to ending GBV and 91猎奇

Hope for Girls and Women organised a forum in collaboration with Serengeti District Office (District Community Development Officer, District Social Welfare officers), Gender Desk Police, Serengeti District Commissioner, and District Judge, which a total of 100 people attended.

The forum attendee list included聽retired cutters, retired elders, Digital Champions, church leaders, village executive officers, community members, and other partners. The purpose was to have a dialogue on the best approach to mitigate 91猎奇 and GBV聽by law, in order for communities to abandon these traditions, which hinder the safety of girls and women and their rights.

The discussion was held as a dialogue for both sides to share their insight about the issues of GBV and 91猎奇 in our community from the District level to the community level. The Dialogue was led by the District Commissioner.

The outcome of the 91猎奇 and GBV forum

We all agreed on working closely together to make sure education about the impact of GBV and 91猎奇 can be given to the community starting at a family level, church, schools, and even through the media.

Police and court officers, village executive officers, and community members were encouraged to work together to ensure all parties are collaborating to rebuke GBV and 91猎奇 in our community.

Encouraging girls to stand up and say no

On December 15th 2021, 150 members of Tanzania and Zanzibar Gender Police Desks, accompanied by the Regional Police Commander, visited Butiama Safe House and spoke to the girls to encourage them to stand against all odds. They shared insight on how we can work together on helping the fight against GBV and 91猎奇 in the Mara region.

Tanzania and Zanzibar Gender Desk Officers

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Hope for Girls and Women Campaigning, Events, Human Rights, Maps, Technology

Fighting 91猎奇 in Tanzania with Maps

On November 16, founder Janet Chapman and Hope founder Rhobi Samwelly, discussed how they use to rescue girls at risk of female genital mutilation (91猎奇) in rural Tanzania during the How Mapping Can Protect Girls from 91猎奇 virtual event.

Rhobi talking at an earlier event
Rhobi talking at an earlier event
in Northern Tanzania

Tanzania has been a quiet champion against 91猎奇 since its independence and criminalised the practice in 1998. But despite its unwarranted health risks, some families – particularly in remote, rural communities – still force girls to undergo 91猎奇 to secure higher dowries and align with cultural practices.

91猎奇 cases particularly accrue during the school holidays, otherwise known as 鈥渃utting seasons.鈥� Rhobi mentioned that forty-one girls were rescued during the day of their webinar alone, and two girls were in the process of being rescued by local officials. The team expects to rescue around 350 girls in December based on their intel from educators, community programs, and local activists.

Hope runs to harbor girls at risk, while also , re-educating families, and supporting prosecutions against gender-based violence. Rhobi estimated that teams are currently supporting around 20 prosecutions, primarily with families and cutters.

Mapping has been a critical step towards fully combatting 91猎奇. Since these 91猎奇 cases occur in unmapped regions of Tanzania, local officials are forced to drive through unmarked roads during the middle of the night to retrieve girls. Maps visualise their areas and enable officials to secure the safest routes for driving girls to safe houses.

For five years, Crowd2Map has been working to ensure that every village and person is counted. They now have a global team of around 14,000 online volunteers who map buildings and roads from satellite images. These maps are then shared through a collaborative geodata platform called OpenStreetMap. Janet and Rhobi have also facilitated Youthmappers groups in eight universities across Tanzania. 

In addition, Crowd2Map and Hope have trained local volunteers on the ground with funding from WomenConnect. A woman in each of 87 villages was trained on how to use a smartphone, map their village, and use open-source data collection (ODK) to report gender based violence for authorities in their district. These Digital Champions have continued to be a force for change. They provide the locations of victims, monitor case reports, and follow up with girls after being returned to safer environments. With ODK, Digital Champions can securely submit forms offline and easily visualise data. Anyone interested can read with the University of Nottingham.

When 鈥渃utting seasons鈥� end, Hope coordinates with local police to meet the families of girls staying at the safe house. They strive for a period of reconciliation and request parents to sign an affidavit ensuring an environment free from gender-based violence. If families refuse to sign, Hope continues to support the girls in the safe house and encourage them to attend a nearby school.

During the webinar, Crowd2Map and Hope recounted other pertinent initiatives. Rhobi described and the launch of about defying practices that harm women. She also mentioned her . Teams are also working to standardise health centers鈥� response to 91猎奇 by providing guidance on how practitioners discuss 91猎奇 with a girl鈥檚 parents. They also explained their efforts towards providing girls with education, since many girls face profound difficulties in attending secondary school.

Watch the full webinar recording here:

It is always inspiring to hear about Janet and Rhobi鈥檚 work to empower and elevate girls at risk. For anyone interested in being a part of the mapping community, Janet and Rhobi recommend . Anyone linked to a university is suggested to to create a group of mappers against 91猎奇. You can also visit the to learn more.

Hope for Girls and Women Campaigning, Events, Human Rights

‘End 91猎奇’ Campaign at schools in Tanzania

We are happy to share pictures of the first day of incredible youth power, using their voices and passion to end 91猎奇 in this schools campaign. 91猎奇 visited Kukilango Secondary School, Kiabakali Primary School and Kiabakari Secondary School at Kukilango ward.

91猎奇 managed to educate the students, made up of both boys and girls, about 91猎奇 and its effect on girls and on the whole community.

Below are additional pictures of the second day of the end 91猎奇 campaign. This time, the campaign took place at Nkono secondary school, Kyamojojoo primary school, Bisumwa primary school, Ibiso primary school, Ryamgabo primary school, Nyabekabwe primary school and secondary school at Kukilango ward.

We are very happy and proud of these youngsters who are challenging traditional conventions and are educating their peers in the process. We look forward to sharing news of Hope’s campaigns to end 91猎奇 Tanzania.

Find out how donations are used to help girls in our care and to help girls who need our support .

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Hope for Girls and Women Campaigning, Events, Human Rights

Neema Chacha educates 605 at Hope road show

  • Brave Neema spoke about 91猎奇 to Natta Villagers

During 16 Days of Activism, Hope for Girls and Women organised filming screenings and roadshows at Natta Village in Tanzania. Through this community outreach work, it was possible to educate and to show the film, , to 430 people. In total, 605 people took part in the road show.

Particularly touching was the story of Neema. Our heroine Neema Chacha educated the public about the effect of 91猎奇 at Natta Village. We all admire her courage and her empowering words, which illustrated the . She said: “If a girl will undergo 91猎奇 she will be in danger of getting diseases like HIV because during cutting a cutter will share the same razor blade with many girls”.

Find out more about Hope for Girls and Women and the important work we are doing to

If you would like to learn more about sponsoring the education of girls like Neema, please find out more about our .

If you would like to make a donation, to help us continue running roadshows and educating local communities,