Girl Care Program
Providing safe spaces for girls who choose education
Protecting Educational Dreams
“I fear that my father will marry me off if I go home. I do not understand why he wants this for me but I know that it is true. When I talk with him on the telephone, he tells me to come home, that he wants to see me. But I know that it is not safe for me at home.” (Ngaaya, age 17)
This is the reality for some of the girls in Longido.
In 2019, TEMBO launched the Girl Care Program (Kujali Kwa Wasichana) to address this reality. While some families push for their girls to get an education, other families hold on to deep cultural traditions that support early marriage and pregnancy for girls as young as 14 or 15.
As well, for some TEMBO-sponsored girls, poverty is another very real challenge. At the age of 12 or 13, girls may be forced into labour to find money to buy food for the home.
The Girl Care Program provides vulnerable adolescent girls with a safe, supportive place to live while they complete their secondary education. Coordinated by TEMBO Tanzania and supported by TEMBO Canada, the program begins with family and community consultations to understand each girl’s circumstances and identify the support she may need. Girls who participate in the program stay at the TEMBO Girls’ Hostel, where they benefit from a stable environment that encourages academic success, personal responsibility, and well-being.
Through structured homework support, mentorship, and daily routines, girls are given the opportunity to focus on their education and future goals. Whether they are transitioning to secondary school, waiting for exam results, or returning home during school breaks, the Girl Care Program provides a positive and nurturing environment where girls can feel safe, valued, and supported. Each year, 20 to 25 girls benefit from the program, helping them stay in school and complete their education.
“When I am at home, it is very difficult. People in my community are not familiar with education. It is not safe for me. I like the Girl Care program because I can study, play with other girls and share ideas. I will stay here until I finish my studies.”
Martha
Age 15
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Support Girl Care
Your generosity can help provide a girl with care during a long school break, a toiletry kit for each girl or three meals a day for the girls in care.
