ABOUT OUR PROJECT

The Her Village Initiative is one of the four core programs of Her Journey to School, built on a simple but powerful belief  it takes a village to raise, protect, and educate a girl.

In many rural communities across Tanzania, including the Maasai, Meru, Gogo and Sukuma tribes, social norms, cultural traditions, and economic challenges continue to limit girls’ access to education. Early marriage, menstrual stigma, unsafe learning environments, and lack of open communication often keep girls from reaching their full potential.

The Her Village Initiative brings together parents, elders, religious leaders, teachers, traditional birth attendants, and boda boda (motorcycle) drivers to build communities that understand, value, and protect girls.

This initiative goes far beyond “awareness.” It is about mobilizing communities into action — creating accountability, changing behavior, and ensuring every girl is safe, supported, and celebrated from home to school.

Our Approach: Partnership, Dialogue, and Collective Action

We believe that lasting change begins at the community level  when families, leaders, and systems unite to support girls’ education and rights.

The Her Village Initiative uses a community-driven model that blends traditional wisdom with modern advocacy, ensuring everyone becomes a stakeholder in a girl’s success.

Our key activities include:
Community Dialogue Forums: Safe, inclusive spaces where parents, elders, and youth discuss issues affecting girls, from education and health to child protection.
Engaging Boda Boda Drivers & Teachers: Training local transporters and educators to recognize their role in keeping girls safe, reducing harassment, and promoting school attendance.
Menstrual Health & Dignity Campaigns: Bringing both men and women community Members into conversations about menstruation to reduce stigma and build empathy.
Leadership & Gatekeeper Engagement: Partnering with traditional healers, midwives, and religious leaders, Parents to challenge harmful norms and serve as advocates for girls’ education.
Parental Testimonies: Sharing real stories of families who have transformed their mindsets inspiring others to support girls with pride.
Social Media & Radio Campaigns: Amplifying local voices and success stories to inspire nationwide dialogue on gender equality and education.
Policy Dialogue & Advocacy: Collaborating with local government leaders to influence by-laws and decisions that protect girls from early marriage and gender-based violence.

By combining grassroots mobilization with public advocacy, Her Village bridges the gap between communities and systems  ensuring that cultural change and policy progress move together.

VISION

Tanzania where communities stand united to protect, educate, and empower girls creating environments where equality, respect, and opportunity thrive for every child.

OBJECTIVES

Strengthen Community Support Systems – Unite parents, elders, and local leaders in shared responsibility for girls’ education and safety.
Engage Influential Gatekeepers – Train boda boda drivers, midwives, teachers, and elders to champion girls’ protection and empowerment.
Promote Menstrual Health and Inclusion – Encourage open dialogue among men and women to end stigma and build supportive school and home environments.
Amplify Grassroots Voices – Use social media, storytelling, and radio to share success stories and model community-led transformation.
Encourage Male Engagement – Involve fathers and young men as allies for equality, inclusion, and shared responsibility.
Influence Local Policy – Advocate for community by-laws and education policies that uphold girls’ rights and prevent early marriage.
Sustain Cultural Transformation – Foster ongoing learning and behavior change through peer mentors, testimonies, and intergenerational storytelling.

Through Her Village Initiative, Her Journey to School has reached over 1,456 community members across Arusha, Monduli, Oljoro, Lemanyata and Olkokola including elders, traditional birth attendants, boda boda drivers, teachers, and religious leaders, Government leaders.
School attendance has increased as more families recognize the value of keeping girls in class.
Boda boda riders and teachers are now active allies, promoting safety and accountability in and around schools.
Menstrual stigma is decreasing, with open conversations happening among men, women, and youth.
Community by-laws now include provisions protecting girls from early marriage and sexual exploitation.
Social media campaigns have connected rural voices to national and global platforms, amplifying stories of progress.
Parental testimonies demonstrate powerful shifts in mindset  from silence to advocacy, from fear to pride.

Each of these milestones proves that when a community believes in its girls, generations rise together.

How You Can Help. 
Your partnership helps us continue building communities that stand up for girls, not against them.
With your contribution, we can:
Host Community Dialogue Forums in more villages across rural Arusha.
Train boda boda drivers, teachers, and community leaders as gender champions.
Support radio and social media campaigns that challenge harmful norms and celebrate progress.
Collect and share parental testimonies that inspire other families to change.

Sponsor a Community Dialogue. Fund a Local Leader’s Training. Empower a Village to Rise for Its Girls.