Girls Buzz

In Tanzania, adolescent girls and young women face persistent barriers that silence their voices and limit their potential. Many grow up in environments where harmful gender norms, poverty, and systemic inequalities dictate their choices. Teenage pregnancy remains high — 24% of girls aged 15–19 are mothers or pregnant (TDHS-MIS 2022) — leading to school dropouts and fewer opportunities for economic independence. Gender-based violence is widespread, with 40% of women aged 15–49 having experienced physical violence and 17% sexual violence. Leadership gaps also persist, as girls and young women are often excluded from decision-making spaces, leaving their experiences and perspectives unheard.

Girls Buzz is WOYOMO's flagship initiative designed to respond to this reality by creating safe, supportive, and empowering spaces — both physical and digital — where girls can learn, connect, and lead. The program focuses on amplifying girls' voices, building leadership, and nurturing agency through three core components:

• Girls Academy: A learning hub where girls and young women receive training in leadership, advocacy, activism, and feminism, coupled with mentorship to build confidence and community leadership skills. Under this academy, we have a feminist school to teach adolescents about activism and their rights.
• Annual Girls Convening: A national gathering that brings girls together to share experiences, identify challenges, propose solutions, and set advocacy agendas that reflect their lived realities.
• Girls Buzz Platform: An online community that bridges access to opportunities, mentorship, and digital advocacy spaces connecting girls from different regions to learn, support one another, and influence change.

Through Girls Buzz, adolescent girls and young women gain confidence, leadership, and solidarity. They become changemakers challenging harmful norms, influencing their communities, and pursuing education and economic independence.

Health Spark Project

The Health Spark Project is a youth-driven initiative that promotes Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and gender equality among adolescents in Tanzania. The project was created to respond to the persistent silence, stigma, and misinformation surrounding puberty, menstruation, consent, and gender-based violence — issues that continue to deny many young people, especially girls, their right to health, education, and dignity.

In Tanzania, the need for comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is urgent. Studies show that 27% of girls aged 15–19 have begun childbearing, and more than 42,000 schoolgirls dropped out between 2021 and 2022 due to pregnancy. Many adolescents navigate puberty without accurate information or support, leading to early pregnancies, unsafe practices, and discrimination. Menstrual health remains a major barrier — 1 in 4 girls miss school each month because they lack sanitary pads, privacy, or understanding from peers and teachers.

To address these challenges, Health Spark uses a peer-led, school-based approach that centers young people as leaders and educators in their own communities. Through participatory workshops, storytelling, and open dialogue, students learn about menstruation, puberty, consent, and gender equality in a safe and stigma-free environment. The project also uses media advocacy — radio, TV, and social media — to engage parents, teachers, and community leaders, encouraging collective responsibility for youth wellbeing and rights.

Between 2023 and 2025, Health Spark reached nine schools, five in Dar es Salaam and four in Dodoma, training 30 peer educators and empowering over 2,500 students with essential SRHR knowledge. Beyond classrooms, 35,000 community members were reached through media campaigns, fostering wider awareness and dialogue on youth health and gender equality.

Second Chance Project

The Second Chance Project is a transformative initiative dedicated to empowering teenage mothers and girls whose education has been interrupted due to early pregnancy and related social challenges. In many rural communities of Tanzania, including the Simiyu region, girls continue to face systemic barriers that deny them the right to education and limit their future opportunities. Deeply rooted gender norms, poverty, and stigma surrounding early pregnancy often result in teenage mothers being excluded from school and marginalized within their families and communities.

According to the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS 2022), 27% of girls aged 15–19 are either pregnant or have already given birth, with rates even higher in rural areas such as Simiyu, Shinyanga, and Mara. Teenage pregnancy remains one of the leading causes of school dropout among girls, contributing to the cycle of poverty, early marriage, and gender inequality.

Although the government adopted the Re-entry Guideline (2022) to support young mothers' return to school, implementation remains inconsistent due to social stigma, lack of awareness, economic hardship, and limited psychosocial support systems. Many girls are left isolated, depressed, and struggling to navigate motherhood without guidance or financial independence. WOYOMO's Second Chance Project bridges this gap with holistic support — psychosocial care, mentorship, vocational training, and strong school re-entry advocacy — ensuring no girl's story ends with a pregnancy.

Beyond Limits

Beyond Limits is a feminist advocacy and empowerment project dedicated to supporting rural women, girls, and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) to reclaim their power and live free from violence and discrimination. Rooted in the fight against femicide and systemic abuse, the project creates space for healing, awareness, and resilience-building.

The program focuses on three key areas:

• Raising awareness on GBV and femicide through media campaigns, community dialogues, and survivor-led storytelling.
• Supporting survivors with mental health services, psychosocial support, and safe spaces to heal and rebuild.
• Empowering women and girls economically, especially those who have experienced violence, through vocational training, entrepreneurship, and skills development to achieve financial independence.

Beyond Limits is not just about recovery — it's about amplifying voices, challenging harmful norms, and strengthening movements. It equips women and girls with tools to organize, lead, and influence policy at both community and national levels.