Currents Summer 2020 Vol. 36, No. II | Page 12

FAWCO Target Project 2020–2022 S.A.F.E. (Safe Alternatives for Female Genital Elimination): a project of Hope for Girls & Women Tanzania BY CHRISTINE R. FAWCO REPRESENTATIVES „ FAWCO announced the new Target Project during their virtual conference in March. This is also the Target Project that AWCH voted for at the AGM in January. It is a cause that we can all get behind for the next two years, supporting the elimination of FGM for these girls and women in Tanzania. My dream is to save girls from being cut, and I will never stop until FGM is history in my community. „ -Rhobi Samwelly HOW OUR RAISED FUNDS WILL BE USED: • Safe haven for 500 at-risk girls coupled with family counseling services to ensure their safe return home, free from the threat of female genital mutilation (FGM) • Healthcare and psychosocial counseling to 200 women and 300 girl survivors of FGM • Community sensitization through outreach programs and the introduction of Alternative Rites of Passage as an alternative to FGM, with a potential reach of 25,000 individuals • Income-generating opportunities for 50 women and 50 girls and access to the National Health Insurance Fund plan BUDGET: $142,062.96: 95% of funds will go to programs and services, i.e., psychosocial support, training, community outreach and education, Alternative Rites of Passage celebrations, safe havens, and healthcare. 5% of funds will be used to monitor and evaluate programming throughout the two-year period. WHO IS HOPE FOR GIRLS & WOMEN? Hope for Girls & Women Tanzania (HGWT) is an organization that advocates for the end of FGM and other harmful practices affecting women and children in Tanzania including, but not limited to, intimate partner violence, child marriage, and other forms of violence. HGWT works to promote and protect the rights of girls and women by providing education to girls and the community at large, strengthening social cohesion, promoting positive social change, and increasing the capacity of women and girls to live free of violence through increased access to protection facilities and skills development. HGWT‘s mission is to promote human dignity and respect for girls and women by: • Campaigning for the elimination of FGM and other harmful practices that affect children and women in their community • Promoting respect, human dignity, and the equality of all human beings • Empowering communities to break the cycle of poverty and inequality • Supporting survivors of gender-based violence The history of HGWT is the history of its founder, Rhobi Samwelly. At age 11, Rhobi lost a close friend to FGM. When Rhobi’s parents began to organize her cutting ceremony at age 13, she strongly resisted. She abandoned a plan to run away when she realized she had nowhere to go. With no 12 AWCH News & Events