Supporting Education of Girls at Hope for Girls & Women Tanzania and The FAWCO Foundation STEM award.

“Education is the most powerful weapon that you can use to change the world.” - Nelson Mandela

Hope for Girls and Women Tanzania: Your Support Makes a Difference

Around the world, 129 million girls are out of school, with only 49% of countries achieving gender parity in primary education. In Tanzania, especially in remote, rural areas, education is often not deemed an option for girls. Although Tanzania achieved nearly universal access to primary education in 2007, the situation has deteriorated. Currently, over 2 million children aged 7 to 13 are out of school, 70% are not enrolled in secondary education, and just over 3% are enrolled in the final two years of schooling.

Challenges Facing Girls' Education in Tanzania

Girls in Tanzania are disproportionately impacted, facing barriers such as early marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). FGM is often performed to secure a higher dowry, leading to girls being married off at a young age, which typically ends their education. At Hope for Girls and Women Tanzania, our goal is to support girls in continuing their education.

Success Stories

With your support, we've raised over $18,000 since 2019—a remarkable achievement! Here are some updates on the students your donations have supported:

• Rehema G. is in her third year of studying Pharmacology to become a pharmacy assistant. She aspires to become a pharmacist and is working hard to achieve a 4.8 GPA, which would qualify her for a government bursary to cover her future university expenses. Rehema's dedication and success are truly inspiring.

• Elizabeth K. is studying Hospitality Industry and Hotel Management at the Arusha Help to Self Help Vocational Training College and plans to finish her studies by the end of 2024.

A New Initiative: FAWCO Foundation Education Award

Education for girls is a cause close to my heart. To further support this, I am contributing $1,000 to the FAWCO Foundation Education Award: Women in STEM. This $4,000 award supports the study of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), including medicine, chemistry, computer and information technology science, engineering, geosciences, life sciences, mathematical sciences, physics, and astronomy for women and individuals who identify as women.

Join Us in Making a Difference

Your contributions have made a significant impact, and we invite you to continue supporting this worthy cause. Together, we can help more girls like Rehema and Elizabeth achieve their dreams and change the world through education.

Rehema, upon completion of her studies, will be able to work either in a hospital or in a pharmacy. Her choice at this stage is to find employment in a pharmacy. But her goal is to eventually study medicine, and to become a doctor!  Rehema is the first girl in her family to go to college or university. She found safety at the Mugumu safe house when she escaped from FGM. She has a younger sister at the Mugumu safe house.

The start of this journey…

S.A.F.E., the 2020-2022 FAWCO Target Project

S.A.F.E. (Safe Alternatives for FGM Elimination) is an initiative of the organization Hope for Girls & Women Tanzania (HGWT) and was selected to be the 2019-2022 Target Project of FAWCO, a global network of international clubs and associations in over 30 countries around the world.

Collectively, the FAWCO Clubs fundraised more than $177,000 to support S.A.F.E. from 2020 - 2022. The project had a major impact on the organization and the girls and women it supports. The Target Team created extensive awareness on the topic of female Genital Mutilation, a critical human rights and health issues affecting women and girls around the world. You can read more about S.A.F.E and FGM in the blog FGM, the Fight Continues.

HGWT advocates to end female genital mutilation (FGM) and other harmful practices affecting women and children in Tanzania including but not limited to intimate partner violence, child marriage and other forms of violence. They work to promote and protect the rights of girls and women by providing education to girls and the community at large, strengthening social cohesion, promoting positive social change and increasing the capacity of women and girls to live free of violence through increased access to protection facilities and skills development.

During the period November 2019 – February 2022, Tharien’s Art donated more than $12,000 from orders of Greeting Cards, Prints and Painting Giveaways towards S.A.F.E.