Binti Hodari
AKILI CHANYA INITIATIVE | TANZANIA
In December 2023, GO Campaign provided a grant to Akili Chanya Initiative Tanzania (ACIT) for the purpose of providing support to young girls who were victims of sexual abuse through mental health support and life skills training. 22 youth have been impacted by this grant.
Founded in 2022 by Renalda Lekule, ACIT seeks to tackle the mental health challenges of Tanzanian youth through mental health clubs at primary schools in the Kilimanjaro region. Citing a rise in sexual abuse of young girls in Moshi Municipal, Tanzania, ACIT identified a lack of holistic support for victims of gender-based violence. In response, the organization launched a program at several local primary schools to target the mental health of young girls impacted by gender-based violence in the region, as well as provide them with other support including training in reproductive health, entrepreneurship, hygiene and self-care.
The project, Binti Hodari, which translates to strong girl or daughter in Swahili, has successfully intervened in the lives of young girls in several schools. Participants saw improvements in their mental health, academic performance, and relationship with their parents. In at least two instances, parents were able relocate to another area to remove their daughters from the environment where the abuse took place, and one participant was able to transfer schools, all as a result of counseling provided by Binti Hodari. ACIT also saw participating schools embrace sexual abuse education in their curriculum and parent outreach.
