Safe Houses, School Wins & Women’s Businesses
Lives brightened — making hope possible
July was a month of significant impact across our programs in Tanzania.
From Maasai villages around Ngorongoro to our community in Mwanza, generosity is opening doors to education, safety, health, and women’s empowerment.
Maasai Communities: New Beginnings, Safety, and Education
Girls’ Scholarships & Safe House
We sat with 10 courageous Maasai girls who can continue their education at government boarding high schools, thanks to the Health & Hope Scholarship Program. This lifeline is not just keeping them in school beyond primary grades - education is helping them break free from the traditional cycle of early arranged marriage.
Their faces lit up as they explored how to set SMART goals through a lively PowerPoint lesson- watching the slides change was as mesmerizing to them as witnessing a rocket launch!
· Together, we discussed the steep challenges of learning all high school classes in English, their third language.
· We spoke honestly about the heartbreak and risks of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and early arranged marriages. Tragically, half of these girls have already endured FGM.
· Each received a washable menstrual kit and a Swahili-English dictionary- small but powerful tools for dignity and learning.
Their schools have no electricity. To help them study in the evenings and stay warm at night, we provided solar lamps and cozy sweatshirts.
Protecting Girls from Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Our Maasai leadership in Tanzania opened a temporary boma last December to help and shelter girls escaping FGM and early arranged marriages.
· We are now seeking funding for a permanent Safe House where girls can find protection, education, and hope for a safer future.
Expanding Women’s Businesses in Maasai Villages
In Nainokanoka Village, mothers who had no access to work or income are building thriving businesses following our pilot Food Sales Program.
· 30 women now sell staple foods at affordable prices in local markets. Deliveries are made by truck and donkey.
· These efforts lift women from earning nothing to making up to $273 a year, directly improving family nutrition and well-being.
Community Health Education Grows
In Irrekeepsie Village, we met with 80 women, including 45 Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs).
· This powerful network, 240 women strong, spreads education on HIV prevention, family planning, dangers of FGM, and more - all through classes funded by Health & Hope.
· Leaders of multiple villages request continued community healthcare education classes.
Unexpected Challenges Met with Success
New Tanzanian regulations require washable menstrual kits to be registered as "medical devices," creating unexpected hurdles at customs.
· Thanks to persistent teamwork, we are thrilled to share that 680 schoolgirls' and postpartum menstrual kits, lovingly made by our volunteers, were delivered as promised!
Partnership makes every step possible.
Together, we are protecting girls, empowering women, and opening doors to education and health.
