Girls First Initiative

Help us provide girls with mentorship and the tools they need to pursue their passions.

Girls First Initiative (GFI) is a Tanzanian non-profit which promotes gender equality and campaigns to protect young women and girls from gender-based violence (GBV). GFI relies on an intersectional approach which focuses on healthcare, education, and employment. The organization teaches girls about sexual and reproductive health, entrepreneurship, and innovation to promote self-exploration and give girls the tools they need to establish their personal boundaries. GFI also provides business and life-skills training for professional development, enabling girls to become independent and discover their personal identities.

GFI also launched “Girls Network Tanzania” to give Tanzanian adolescent girls a forum to share resources, make meaningful connections, and find mentors. The network programming includes three sessions focused on introspection as well as skills-based training sessions which empower young women and girls to speak up on important issues.

Your support of this project will support GFI’s “Big Sister, Little Sister” program, which will engage more than 500 girls from two regions. The project aims to disrupt societal norms and barriers, like early marriage and pregnancy, which prevent Tanzanian girls from pursuing their education. Estimates show that 15,000 Tanzanian girls drop out of school annually due to pregnancy, and, until recently, pregnant girls were often forcibly expelled from public schools.

By providing girls with positive role models, GFI aims to show girls that they can pursue any goal they set their minds to. As part of the program, mentors will regularly visit young girls to provide guidance in the following areas: entrepreneurship, leadership, gender equality, sexual and reproductive health, family planning, and menstrual hygiene. These “Big Sisters'' will teach girls to counteract gender stereotypes by setting a positive example of leadership, independence, and self-assurance. Strong female mentors will provide guidance, starting at a young age in the classroom and in other stages of the girls’ life, including when they enter the workforce. These role models will help guide girls by showing them they can overcome societal expectations which limit their potential, helping girls gain autonomy and confidence.

Join us to support and provide mentorship to adolescent girls in our community and share this campaign with others!

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This project is supported by the Girls Opportunity Alliance.

Your donation to benefit this campaign/project will be allocated to the Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund (“GOA Fund”), a project of GoFundMe.org (a U.S. public charity). The Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund may grant a refund in limited circumstances at its sole and absolute discretion, however, donations are not refundable after the GoFundMe payment platform has transferred your donation to the Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund. Transfers from GoFundMe to Girls Opportunity Alliance fund typically occur once monthly. All donations are subject to the variance power of GoFundMe.org, as stated in the applicable GoFundMe.org policies (https://www.gofundme.org/policies/). Subject to applicable law, donations may be tax-deductible.

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