By Karin Joseph | Head of International Programmes
Today we want to share a story we recently received from our partner, Cheka Sana, full of transformation and encouragement.
Monica*, 20, is from the Mara region of Tanzania - a rural area most famous for being home to the Serengeti National Park. However, Monica’s life in Mara was unimaginably hard. As a 16 year old, she was sexually abused by a teacher in her secondary school and became pregnant. When her family found out, they chased her out of home, leaving her with no protection, shelter or financial support.
In desperation, Monica travelled from Mara to Mwanza. She found herself at the bus terminal, where a girl of a similar age found her with nowhere to go and took her to an informal settlement (ghetto) where other young women and girls were living together. She was introduced to how to survive in a new urban environment, and became involved in sex work. Her peers advised her to end her pregnancy so she could keep working and earning – so Monica had an abortion. She began using substances to cope with the trauma, and the challenges of her daily life on the streets.
Monica had been living and working on the streets for two years and was 18 years old by the time Cheka Sana’s team met her, via a peer on the streets who had already met Cheka Sana’s outreach team. At first, she was reluctant to engage with the team, but with patience and repeated efforts to engage by Cheka Sana’s team, and encouragement by her friend, Monica decided to join the Streetborn programme. She started one-to-one counselling, and took part in weekly life skills sessions, as well as self-defence training every week. She received education in sexual and reproductive health, and was also linked up to health services.
Monica shared with her counsellor that she was eager to restart her education, and was especially keen to join training for secretarial and computer studies so she could pursue formal employment in this sector. Cheka Sana supported her enrollment in a vocational training centre (VETA), where she completed a six-month secretarial course. During this training, Monica lived at the vocational centre’s hostel, and showed strong academic performance. She completely stopped being involved in sex work during her training.
Cheka Sana helped Monica’s find a work placement at a stationery office within the Regional Court. At the same time, Cheka Sana’s team supported family mediation, enabling communication between Monica and her parents to be restored. Her family now expresses pride in her progress and achievements.
Now, Monica is employed, living independently, and maintaining positive relationships with her family. The team at Cheka Sana are delighted to see that she is emotionally stable, responsible, and shows real commitment to her personal and professional development.
“My goal is to continue working, improve my computer skills, and build a stable future. I want to be independent, support myself, and help my family. I also want other girls to know that change is possible, even after very difficult experiences.”
Monica’s story is such an encouragement: it also demonstrates how young women who have already received support from Cheka Sana play a vital role in encouraging their peers to seek help. Now Monica wants to play the same role in the lives of other girls.
*Name changed.
By Karin Joseph | Head of International Programmes
By karin joseph | Head of international programmes
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