Hello friends. In 2019 I was blessed with the opportunity to accompany a group of dedicated and passionate legal and social services professionals, as a volunteer with Crossroads International, to the beautiful country of Tanzania, Africa. Our mission, titled the "Access to Justice Program", was to meet with our counterparts there, fellow police officers, criminal prosecutors, defence attorneys, judges and social workers, to collaborate with them and promote better practices in the battle against gender-based violence. My esteemed colleagues were His Honour, Judge Stephen R. Clark and his lovely wife Laurie, Crown Attorney Cidalia Faria, now Her Honour, Judge Cidalia Faria, Defence Attorney Nadir Sachak and Victim Witness Assistance Program Manager at Old City Hall Courts, Patricia Wilson.
While our mission lasted only two weeks, it was a life-changing experience. Based in the town of Moshi, in Northern Tanzania, near the Kenyan border, we were blessed with the breathtaking view of Mt. Kiliminjaro from our hotel balcony. But even more beautiful than the view were the people. The Tanzanian people were gracious, gentle and passionate for the cause which had brought us there.
Tanzania faces many challenges, including, but not limited to, forced marriages for young girls, domestic violence and female genital mutilation. Our partner organization was KWIECO, the "Kilimanjaro Women Information Exchange and Consultancy Organization". They are an NGO, a Non-Governmental Organization, whose primary strategies are to prevent and respond to the focal issues of Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence. As an NGO, they do not receive any government assistance and are dependent on donors to continue their mandate.
See the following link to the KWIECO website, which details their goals and activities:
https://preventgbvafrica.org/member/kilimanjaro-women-information-exchange-and-consultancy-organization-kwieco/
In 2015, thanks to the generosity of donors, KWIECO opened "KWEICO Shelter House" to provide shelter and a safe space for females fleeing violence in their homes. The shelter was one of the only places available in the Kilimanjaro Region for females to escape violence and live without fear in a nurturing and supportive environment.
See the following video, which shows the "KWEICO Shelter House" and provides testaments from residents:
Sadly, while we were there in 2019 when we visited the shelter, we were dismayed to learn that, although the structure was available, it was largely unoccupied due to a lack of funding to keep it operative. It was heart-wrenching to witness this beautiful facility, built with so much love and hope, standing empty.
Today, our group received bittersweet but ultimately positive news that the shelter had received enough donations to fulfill its purpose to house and support young girls fleeing from violence. Currently, they are housing three women, five young children who arrived with their mothers, and seven school-aged girls.
And now we have come to the reason for this request. The donor who has provided the funds for the shelter's daily operation does not offer the funds required for the girls to attend school. The school-aged girls have hopes and dreams and aspirations that their conditions have thwarted at home. With the support of KWIECO they have all been promised spots in local schools; however, the schools require funds for essentials before they will allow the girls to attend. Below is a series of photographs detailing the six girls' circumstances, their hopes and dreams, and the cost of attending school. The money listed is in Tanzanian Shillings so while it may look like a staggering amount, on average, one year of schooling costing 367,000 Tanzanian Shillings is equivalent to approximately $200.00 Canadian. All the costs listed below combined come to just under $2000.00 Canadian. I have also included the breakdown of the funds required for each girl. Please read the girls' stories; they are heartbreaking but, at the same time, full of hope and promise and dreams.
Our mission to Tanzania did not end when we returned in 2019 but continues to this day. This is a truly worthy cause, and your money will be used to transform young girls' lives. Please join us in making these girls' dreams a reality.
The cover photo for this fundraiser is of me standing at the front gates of the Kwieco Shelter House. The words on the door in Swahili are, "HAKI SAWA KWA WOTE NI MSINGI WA MAENDELEO". Translated into English, they mean, "EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL ARE THE BASIS OF DEVELOPMENT". This is the premise towards which your donations will be used. Thank-you.
