Through VOYOTA I learnt how to report gender-based violence

I was born in Kahama and went to primary school there before I came to Arusha to visit secondary school. Where I come from, the general opinion is spread that girls shouldn’t go to school, which I believe is an big issue. When other students told me about the Sauti Ya Binti program and its benefits, I joined the club. Through VOYOTA I learnt how to report gender-based violence and I feel encouraged to advise young girls from Kahama how they can stand for their right to got to school. One day, I want to become a lawyer in order to fight actively for women rights in our society myself

I gained a deeper understanding and knowledge about sexual reproductive health and other important subjects

Unfortunately, many women suffer domestic and gender-based violence. By joining the Sauti Ya Binti Club from VOYOTA I learnt how to report such issues and I furthermore gained a deeper understanding and knowledge about sexual reproductive health and other important subjects. Since joining the club I’ve already advised victims of gender-based violence to report such behavior to the gender desk and police. I see myself working as an activist for women rights in the future.

Through VOTOTAs teaching, I can pass on knowledge to other girls at school in order to fight the pain of discrimination

I personally feel sad about the situation that many women face in our society nowadays. Some women go to the market and sell their goods but when they get home, they have to hand out the money they earned to their husband or even worse, face domestic violence. With VOYOTA I learnt to be confident and I was taught women rights so that today, I can pass on this knowledge to other girls at school in order to fight the pain of discrimination that too many girls and women have to deal with. Furthermore, I learnt much about sexual reproductive health and contraception. My plan for the future is to become a doctor and to do educational work on health, women rights and gender equality.

I’m an ambassador of VOYOTA, assisting and helping other victims to solve their problems so that others don’t have to face the same desperate situation as I did.

I got married in 2010 and soon after I gave birth to a little wonderful girl. My husband was a businessman and we were lucky to own a farm with 6 Hectares of land and some other properties such as our house we had built for our family. Sadly, my husband got sick and passed away, leaving my little daughter and me behind. A meeting with my family-in-law was held in order to discuss what to do with the properties left behind. My father-in-law claimed every property and piece of land for himself and his family so that I ended up having nothing, although I was supposed to inherit at least some parts of the remaining land. I knew that his claim was illegal so I went with this case to court. Because I lacked basic law knowledge and furthermore couldn’t proof that I was married, the court decided that I had no right to inherit anything. Desperate I let the case go as I didn’t know how to defend myself.

Later I met Vincent, Executive Director of VOYOTA, and heard about their programs. I joined as a member and could personally benefit from workshops, dialogues and meetings discussing sexual reproductive health, politics, law and other important topics. If I had known all the things that I was taught by VOYOTA before, the outcome of the conflict with my family in law would have been different, as I would have known my rights and how to stand up for them.

Now I’m an ambassador of VOYOTA, assisting and helping other victims to solve their problems so that others don’t have to face the same desperate situation as I did. I hope with all of my heart that our society will become a violence-free society of equality and happiness.

VOYOTA gave me my hope back. Through knowledge, training and coaching on gender-based violence and law, I feel encouraged to change not only my situation but also to help others that face challenges too.

When I was 15 years old, I was forced into marriage with a man that was twice my age. My life was hard: He mistreated me, cheated on me, complained all the time and didn’t care about me at all. I didn’t have any access to money or personal freedom. In those dark times god blessed me with a little sunshine: I gave birth to a healthy girl when I was 16. I was only allowed to see my child while breastfeeding, in the meantime, my husbands’ family would take care of it. I couldn’t bear my life anymore; I was determined to change my situation. I ran away from my husband, heartbroken to leave my child with a family, which I knew wouldn’t offer a safe environment for my girl to grow up in. Once I freed myself, I tried to find my daughter but my husband wouldn’t tell me where it was, just that apparently, she was doing ‘fine’. This was in 2002. I would have to wait until 2019 until I saw my daughter again.

When meeting daughter, which was already an adolescent girl by then, I asked her about her childhood, I already assumed that she had gone through a lot. But what she told me was a shocking story full of abuse, willful neglect and anguish. She was only allowed to visit three years of school, before her aunt took her to her home, where she had to work as a housemaid, doing cleanness, taking care of the cooking and household. Her daughter was passed on from one family member to another, where she was supposed to stay at home and to take care of all the duties that need to be done. My daughter couldn’t proceed her studies, didn’t get any salary for her work and even worse, suffered mistreatment and rape. Desperately, I tried to reach out to my daughters fathers’ family but they don’t care about her well-being, future or health. To know that my daughter daily endures mental and physical pain is horrible for me. I feel frustrated and hopeless.

VOYOTA gave me my hope back. Through knowledge, training and coaching on gender-based violence and law, I feel encouraged to change not only my situation but also to help others that face challenges too.

Despite all my effort, I couldn’t free my daughter until now. What I lack is financial support as I would need to pay for the school fees of my daughter. My biggest wish is to send her to boarding school, so that she can proceed her studies and earn money for a living on her own in order for her to have a life full of free choices.

VOYOTA tries to help everyone through training, coaching and empowerment. Unfortunately, the demand for financial support of people in need is high, so that we’re not capable of providing funds for everyone.

This is the part where YOU can help. Donate now in order to get this young woman and her daughter out of this miserable situation.