Ending early marriage project is a started being implemented by Rafiki SDO since July 2015 to date. It is funded by T-sadick grants through firelight foundation aiming at improving adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) awareness on health information and empower them economically, building awareness among community elders, tradition leaders, parents and actors and ensure their engagement or commitment against child marriages in their villages as well as supporting victims of early pregnancies (young mothers) with vocational skills including entrepreneurship, life skills and SRHR so as to enable them engage in various income generating activities that will raise their income status and improve their wellbeing and that of their children. This project has been implemented in Mhongolo ward in Kahama TC and currently is implemented in Mwakitolyo ward in Shinyanga District Council.

This project has the following main activities.

1.Conduct training to AGYW on sexual reproductive health and vocational skills including Batik making (Tie &Dye), food processing and production, petroleum jelly, poultry, liquid and bar soap making and specific products according to their needs. 2. To undertake tailoring training to young mothers and Adolescent girls, SRHR and provide them with startup capital 3. Organize community awareness through PA system (including drama group) to address ending early pregnancy and child marriage. 4.Conduct community dialogue among elders, traditional healers, parents, actors and ensure their fully engagement/commitment against ending child marriage. 5. Conduct supportive supervision/follow up to the project beneficiaries to monitor the progress and document project results and success stories.

RAFIKI SDO donated sewing machines to young mothers and Adolescent girls as the way for ending up early marriage and earn income to support their children and families

What we did so far

1. Achieved to train 30 AGYW on tailoring whereby the trainees are currently employed themselves and earn income to support their children and families 2. Rafiki SDO has already trained 20 AGYW on vocational and entrepreneurship skills are capable to produce various products including boutique, bar and liquid soaps, candles and cakes. They are now earning money from this 3. Community awareness raising was conducted in Mwakitolyo to address the causes and influx of early marriage and pregnancies. 192 community members were reached through this intervention 4. Conduct community dialogue among elders, traditional healers, parents, actors and ensure their fully engagement/commitment against ending child marriage. 5. Managed to conduct community dialogue among elders, traditional leaders, parents and caregivers as well as AGYW to discuss the best ways through which early marriage and pregnancies can be addressed. The village leaders in Mwakitolyo has committed themselves to prohibit adolescent girls to be employed by food vendors which is said to be a root cause of early pregnancies and child marriage.