Visibility for African Children: Transformations through Advocacy and Love

Posted in the June 2024 Newsletter

Did you know that June 16th is the International Day of the African Child? You may have known about this historic day, but perhaps not how Tanzanians celebrate and create advocacy for the children in their communities.

You might ask: "How do they 'celebrate' the International Day of the African Child in Tanzania?" The Tanzanian government sets up district and regional events where organizations across the country can showcase how they are improving the lives of the African Child. There exits the opportunity for organizations to create visibility and have a platform for highlighting everyday problems and how they are solving them.

The children are seen and heard thanks to advocates and organizations that speak up for them.

“Wesley College helped me by building confidence--to talk about different things which makes me able to talk in any area, to anyone, on any topic."

- Neema Munya

Graduate, 2021

Neema Munya creates visibility everyday for girls in Tanzania.

Neema Munya graduated in 2021 from Wesley College with a degree in Community Development. She is currently attending university to earn her Bachelor's Degree.

Neema has a passion for helping communities directly through the education and empowerment of young girls.  She shines a light to show where gaps exist in females knowing their potential and their life circumstances.

Neema's passion to help others began with her studies in Community Development to create peace within communities. Her desire to help others has only grown as she has worked with several NGOs focused on young girls.

Educating parents on sex education; visiting orphanages, and working on International Women's Day are just a few things that Neema does through her research and passion.

Recently, she worked for Plan International for the Mwanza branch, where she specifically engaged with "Girls Take Over."

They noticed many young girls felt their only worth was to marry someone who had some money. This is the main option for their lives because many do not know that they can form their own careers and grow through education. Most common in Tanzania is child marriages. Once a girl leave primary school, she has nothing left to do at home and can be married off. This marriage brings much-needed income to the household through the dowry and reduces the stress of the family, but puts children into adult roles at too young an age. Neema seeks to spread knowledge and training to young girls that this is not the only future for them and not the only place to find their worth.

Neema and the team hope to change the perception in the communities that girls can't be leaders. They do this through training girls, showing them female leadership, and giving them a chance to take a place as a leader.

“All women have the ability to be a leader- even young women. The younger community knows this is through seeing women be leaders. Once people see this then their perception is changed.”

Her leadership extends further into policy change with her involvement with agencies such as the Tanzanian Commission on AIDS and Regional Commissioner of Mwanza where she helped and spoke at the International Women's Day.

Neema attributes Wesley College for confidence and ability to speak at these large gatherings to shine a light of visibility to those that can't do it themselves.

"My education at Wesley College prepared me well for University---How to be confident- especially with presentations. I can stand in front of people and have no fear to express what I need to tell others."

Neema's ability to create visibility to the needs of young girls will gain even more momentum when she graduates. She desires to start her own NGO focused on creating community-wide changes through initiating projects that will train, educate, and empower families and young girls to be leaders in the world.

Neema learned that she had something that matters to offer to God. Further- she challenges all of us with her quote: “A good (church) offering is to help someone in need.”

May we all take time to shine visibility to children and others in our areas, like Neema Munya continues to do in Tanzania.