HOPE FOR GIRLS AND WOMEN IN TANZANIA P.O.BOX 162, MUGUMU – SERENGETI, MARA

TANZANIAE-Mail: hopeforgirlsandwomenserengeti@gmail.com

Website: https://hopeforgirlsandwomen.wordpress.com/Twitter: @hopeforgirlsTZ

Cell: +255 756 600 806

BRIEF REPORT ABOUT MUGUMU HOPE CENTER AND BUTIAMA SAFE HOUSE: FROM SEPTEMBER TO AUGOST 2018:

Introduction

Hope for girls and women Tanzania is an NGO which registered legally at National level with its headquarter office in Mugumu – Serengeti with registration number 00NGO/0009414. The organization protests FGM, defends and advocates for girls’ and women rights against gender-based violence and child marriage. We believe by providing education to girls and the community at large, strengthening love and solidarity in the community, we will create a community which is free from bad traditional ties, with dignity and development that will collectively declare an End to FGM, Child Marriage and other forms of Gender Based Violence. The organization established Mugumu Hope Centre and Butiama safe house to protect girls fleeing from FGM and support women who have experienced gender-based violence.

Activities and achievements

Schooling of girls whose reconciliation with their parents failed.

Girls at primary school are 7old + 4 new total 11 at house of Hope, secondary school girls are 10 old + 5 new total 15 at Hope center. 15 girls schooling at Primary school at Butiama Safe house, 2 girls in secondary school at Butiama Safe house.

Girls staying at Butiama Safe house and Hope center.

The current number of girls stay to House of Hope is 60 [ 36 old girls + 24 new girls] and 28 [ 1 new girl] at Butiama Safe house. We have total of 80 girls in both centers. From September 37 new girls flee from FGM and protected at hope center, 14 girls were cut and protected for court proceedings. After reconciliation 13 girls were

returned back home. Reconciliation is still going on. We are expecting after the December seasonal cutting many girls will be received back home. Total of 91 girls were protected at Hope center during the seasonal cutting of September 2018.

Education

Parents sees girls as a potential source of income and they are therefore not supportive of

girls’ education. Keeping girls in school has the potential of delaying marriages and is an

additional reason why educational opportunities, especially access to secondary education

should be provided to girls.

The girls whom we manage to take them to schools are 18 of which 7 are in primary

school and the remained 11 girls joined secondary education. Also we managed to

take Debora Zacharia, a form two student to Machochwe secondary school

(boarding school).

Vocational training center Girls are continuing with their vocational class where they are learning tailoring skills, embroidery, entrepreneurship and farming. 15 in Mugumu Hope Centre +15 new girls and 14 in Butiama Safe House. 2 girls graduated from Vocational class are now volunteering to teach girls at Butiama safe house and House of Hope – Tatu Juma and Elizabeth. Total of 44 girls are now at Vocational class in both centers.

PRROProduction of women hand bags, Aprons, table mats and pauses at our centre.

Land secure of 20 hectorsHope for Girls and Women has managed to secure land of 20 hectors. We are planning to grow maize and beans to 5 ecters in this coming seasonal. The land is at Matare ward. Grumet Reserve supported us to purchase with TZS 20,000,000/=

Workshops and Meetings:

HGWT staff - Neema Meremo attended on the ‘Workshop on gender statistics to strengthen reporting to the 2030 Agenda for all’ which took place in Kigali, Rwanda from 8th to 10th

August 2018. The aim is to identify new and emerging opportunities to fill in gender data gaps within the framework of tracking progress with the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as well as Agenda 2063 of the Africa we want.

Neema Meremo attended the FOSS4G meeting and present the Keynote about fighting Female Genital Mutilation with Maps. Although she attended all those meetings, she seems very busy with her personal networks she created for her green pasture. I have asked her to come to the office for more discussion.

RAINDENCE FILM FESTIVAL:

Raindance film show 2018

The documentary film of in the Name of your daughter will be shown in London end September to October 2018. I attended the film festival and was successfully, where many people asked questions and discussions took place.

New York Assembly meeting:

I attended the New York Assembly meeting together with Janet Chapman, I shared about our work at HGWT together with my story. All went well.

The international Parliamentarians conference on implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action.

I attended the above meeting, where many people from different contries attended the meeting in Ottawa. I was among speakers whom presented about the work we are doing in the fight against FGM. Giselle also attended during my presentation time.

In Ottawa film screening:

I attended the film screening in Ottawa which was organized by Giselle. People were touched and fundraise for HGWT, total of Canadian dola 800 was raised. The funds are with Giselle.

I would like to thank UNFPA, GRF committee members, Baba Julian and Mama Ann, Kath, Janet, Helen, Robert, Petronella, Giselle, Mama Carol in Canada, TDT and all friends and good wishers whom supported and volunteer their time with my trip in America, UK and Canada.

Iam sure this trip will provide and awake many links for people whom would like to work with us in the fight against FGM and gender-based violence.

Basic needs such as food, medication clothes, etc. were provided to survivors.

Girls who are sheltered at both Mugumu and Butiama have been provided with basic needs such as food, clothing and medication. Total of 91 girls were protected at House of Hope and Butiama Safe house. [ 28 girls flee from FGM in June protected at Butiama safe house and 63 girls protected at House of Hope in Mugumu].

A Volunteer from Abroad

Hope for girls and women in Tanzania has been able to receive different volunteers from

different places. We received Marie Von Veltheim on September 18th 2018 as a volunteer

from Germany who was touched by the story of girls and the work we do to protect and

promote girls and women in Tanzania. She will stay with us for four months until January

19th.

Marie with some girls of HGWT

Visitors:

Visitors

From September to October 2018, Hope for Girls and Women in Tanzania we have received

different visitors from different places. On 12th September, we received the visitors from Four

Season HK Team who came to celebrate with us for their international day. Also on 13th of

September we received Guy Fixsen from London-UK who came to visit our both centers in

Mugumu and Butiama and see the girls. We also had Vivian von Veltheim the mother of

Marie, Christine and Maren (our former volunteer) all from Germany. Also on September

30,2018 we received visitors from Chama Cha Mapinduzi(CCM) from Butiama District, they

visited our Centre, They discussed about FGM with girls at Butiama Safe House.

Visitors from four season Marie, Maren & Christine Visitors from CCM

Gifts and aid

Hope for Girls and Women in Tanzania during September to October this year we were able

to receive different aid and gifts from different people. We received gifts of clothes, teaching

materials from Maren and Christine from Germany but also, we received aid (blankets,

mosquito nets and other gifts from Anne Wells who is the director and founder of Unite the

World with Africa Foundation.

Girls holding some of the gifts from friends

Meeting in Tarime and National Dialogue in Dar

On 25th of September, Hope for Girls and Women in Tanzania we received an invitation and

manage to attend the meeting in Tarime that was prepared with CDF. The meeting based on

“MULTI-SECTOR PROGRAM FOR PRE-FGM SEASON STRATEGIC” which aims to

show the status of FGM in Tarime, Butiama and Serengeti district. The meeting was attended

by different government officials and other stakeholders from different places. HGWT also

participated in the National dialogue conducted in Dar es Salaam.

Visiting the Paralegal office in Matare

At the end of October, we managed to go visit the paralegal offices that are located in Matare,

Serengeti district. The purpose of the visit is to get to know and cooperate with them in all

issues concerning the rights of girls and women in Serengeti district. We had the chance to

meet different paralegals from different wards who had their meeting that day. We were

lucky because they were pleased to be working with us for the issues of girls and women’s

rights.

Garden

Hope for girls and women in Tanzania we have a project among other projects of gardens

whereby we plant and make a production of different kinds of vegetables such as spinach,

tomatoes, onions, kale, eggplants and carrots. All these vegetables are helping the girls in our

centre. The below pictures shows different activities that took place during September to

October this year.

Bibi shamba with the girls doing some activities on the garden

Introduction of CLFI Project in Butiama district

Hope for girls and women in Tanzania with collaboration of Canadian friends we manage to

introduce the project of Canada Local Fund Initiative to the local government officials,

religious leaders and influencial people in Butiama district. The project covered 19 villages

and the training was done in three days

Ant FGM Training

On 30th of October hope for girls and women in Tanzania conducted ant FGM training in

Butiama district which was attended by different government officers from regional wise to

local level, religious leaders, and other stake holders from different places. The training was

supported by Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) and UNFPA and officially opened by

regional commissioner of Mara. We introduced Ushahidi FGM reporting system and

distribute posters with ant FGM messages.

SPECIAL THANKS:

UNFPA – Tanzania

Canada – Tanzania

GRF – TDT Netzwerk RAFAEL Ev

FAWCO

Visitors and friends

Marie and Vivian

Maren and Christina

Grumet Reserve.

Challenges

Water problem

This is in Butiama where there is no tap water in Kiabakari where the safe house is located. This forces girls to wake up in the wee hours of the night to go look for water and sometimes even after waking up that early end up getting none. The girls also end up fetching water from a nearby dam which is not clean and poses a great danger to their health and the health of the staff at Butiama Safe house.

Lack of transportation/Vehicle

This has led to the difficult work during reconciliation and other outreach activities and not reaching girls who are at risk of being cut which leads to some girls being cut. This September almost 800 girls were cut in Serengeti.

Inadequate school desks:The need for school desks, most of primary and secondary schools in Butiama district don’t have enough desks, this leads to some students to sit down during their class lessons plus girls flee from FGM whom stayed at Butiama safe house while attending their studies to the ward secondary school.

Students at Kiabakari secondary school sitting down attending their lessons in the class found in Butiama district.

Way forward:

Look for organizations and friends to help the organization drill a borehole in Butiama Safe house to help solve the water crisis.

Fundraising or look for a donor to donate a land cruiser for the organization to ease movement of girls, staff and to help us rescue girls on time and reach community for awareness creation, more beds and bed sheets.

Solicit funds to support school desks to schools in need in Butiama District. Fundraise to support community awareness creation on the effects of FGM and

gender-based violence in Butiama and Serengeti District. Implement community mobile film screening intervention in Butiama support from

CFLI. Sharing district challenges with different partners to support these councils to find

solutions.

Future Plans: Create awareness to the community on the effects of FGM and gender based violence

through roadshows to 9 wards in Butiama District. Buying more sewing machines and materials for Butiama Safe House. Continue to support girls continue with their education and VTC. Conduct trainings to police gender desk, DED’s Office (DCDO and District social

welfare office on gender policy and the effects of FGM and other violence at Butiama district.

Solicit funds to support the girls camp in 2018, where the cutting can be during school holidays as from June, September and December 2018.

Solicit funds to support the construction of hope offices and new safe house, from good wishers.

Participate in the Day of the African Child, Girl child etc. Fundraise for construction of friendly police gender desk offices, girls hostel and

waste water truck in Serengeti and Butiama. Protect girls flee from FGM and gender based violence by providing safe place stay. Provide legal aid and counselling to women and girls experienced gender based

violence.

Prepared by;

Rhobi Samwelly

Director

Hope for Girls and Women in Tanzania