ExChange 2010
Report by Tracey Taylor, Tipperary Women’s Network
Tracey Taylor was a member of the Banúlacht ExChange Group that visited Tanzania in November 2010: here she reflects on her time in Dar es Salaam. (See reports from other participants for broader context of the visit.)
(Tracey with women from Kabangaja, Mwanza, at the launch of the Mná Sasa Manifesto)
Dar-es Salaam was quite a different experience from Mwanza. It is a huge sprawling city and we had a busy schedule visiting a variety of organisations. Mná Sasa was not such a driving force as it was in Mwanza so this meant I focused on learning more about integrating a women’s human rights approach when advocating for women. I was extremely impressed with the professionalism and commitment shown by organisations such as WLAC, Women’s Dignity, and TGNP. However my highlight was our visit to Kiwohede. This is an organisation in Dar es Salaam that works with girls and some boys who have experienced exploitation and abuse. It operates across many parts of the city but the particular project that we visited was the House Girls project.
Some girls who leave their families to work as house girls in the city find themselves in a vulnerable position where they are at risk of homelessness, trafficking or prostitution. The girls who are referred to this project receive a basic education and also taught skills such as embroidery, sewing, weaving and jewellery making. We visited the shop where the girls sold clothes, bags and jewellery they had made and I was impressed with the beauty and quality of the goods. As well as being educated they are learning business skills that will give them a future. Furthermore, they are taught life-skills such as respect for themselves and others and shown how to use their own voice and lobby for their human rights. This human rights approach was central to the work of Justa Mwaituka, the director of Kiwohede, who is dedicated to the elimination of sexual violence and exploitation through influencing policy and working closely with communities.
Apart from the high regard that I have for Justa’s dedication and professionalism, I was really moved by our meeting with the house girls themselves. We were introduced to them just as they were leaving the centre and were treated to a display of singing and dancing that was really inspiring and uplifting because the girls were so confident and vibrant and yet some of them had probably experienced sexual abuse. It was this vibrancy that captured, for me, the essence of the trip, as a whole, to Tanzania. The strength and passion of the women working for all the different organisations and the resilience and determination of the members to improve their lives and take back their power.
