Dar es Salaam, Tanzania- July 25 2023, Machel meets with Tanzanian Networks, making a difference in peopleâs lives
It has been said many times that the best solutions come from the very communities facing them. With the right support and guidance, people are resilient and find innovative ways of solving the challenges they face. Tanzania has vibrant organisations made up of driven women building businesses in different sectors, adding value to their communities and creating opportunities for others.
This is part of the reason the Graça Machel Trust has developed networks in strategic sectors in Tanzania and 17 other African countries. Yesterday evening Mrs Graça Machel, founder of the Trust, met leaders of the Tanzania-based networks to connect, and discuss the challenges they face and what they have been able to achieve.
New Faces New Voices is a network of women in the financial services sector focused on building capacity and supporting women leaders in the sector. It was represented by former chairperson Ms Emma Kawawa (Founder and CEO of Entango Investments and organiser of the Pan African Women Economic Summit) and the vice chairperson MS Irene Mlola Madeje who is a Financial Inclusion Consultant.
Ms Vida Nasari (Country Director NABW- CEO Kazymate logistics and Founder of Women in Balance) represented the Women in Business Network, which brings together women entrepreneurs in different sectors who are provided with the support they need to scale their businesses and gain access to markets and finance. Ms Nasari is also an alumnus of the Graça Machel Trust Women Creating Wealth programme, which focuses on supporting women entrepreneurs to get investor-ready and scale their businesses for long-term growth and wealth generation.
The Women in Media Network was represented by Dr Rose Reuben,  Executive Director of Tanzania Media Women’s Association (TAMWA). The network brings together highly experienced women in the media sector who are interested in highlighting content that deals with womenâs issues.
The Graça Machel Trust also has the African Women in Agriculture and Agri-business Network, which brings together women in this sector to work together, learn from each and do business amongst each other.
Ms Shiphra Chisha, the Head of Programmes at the Trust said âfor us networks are the heartbeat of the of the Graça Machel Trust as they inform the agenda of the work we do. This ensures that the Trust is aligned with the needs and aspirations of the people it serves on the continent.â
âWe are proud of the work these networks do to support women in their efforts to drive, influence and shape socio-economic policies in their various sectors. Itâs only through working together in a co-ordinated effort, that we will be able to make an impact on the continentâs developmental agendaâ
said Mrs Graça Machel.
Media Contacts:
- Asania Aphane â Communications Manager: Asaniaa@gracamacheltrust.org /+27 67Â 741 4406
- Sarah Mpata â Senior Communications Officer: Sarahm@gracamacheltrust.org
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting childrenâs rights, to carry out advocacy and action across Africa. Special focus is placed on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia where child marriage continues to be a problem largely driven by poverty, gender inequality, harmful traditional practices, conflict, low levels of literacy, limited opportunities for girls and weak or non-existent protective and preventive legal frameworks.
Education is a fundamental right for all children, which is also a vehicle for social, economic and political transformation in communities, countries and the African continent at large. Recent studies indicate a lack of progress in some of the critical commitments aimed at improving education quality, access, retention and achievement, particularly for girls. In most African countries, girls may face barriers to learning, especially when they reach post-primary levels of education. By implementing multi-dimensional approaches to education which includes core education, personal development, life skills and economic competencies, the Trust partners with funding partners, governments, civil societies and the private sector to improve education access.
The Nutrition and Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition, (RMNCAH+N) of the Childrenâs Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescentsâ health within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The strategy emphasises on the importance of effective country leadership as a common factor across countries making progress in improving the health of women, children and adolescents.
Through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) plan, The Trust will seek to put into action the new science and evidence Report that was presented by Lancet Series on Good and early development – the right of every child. This will be achieved by mobilising like-minded partners to contribute in the new science and evidence to reach all young children with ECD. The Trustâs goal is to be a catalyst for doing things differently, in particular, to rid fragmentation and lack of coordination across ECD sectors. In response to evidence showing the importance of political will in turning the tide against the current poor access and quality of ECD. Even before conception, starting with a motherâs health and social economic conditions, the early years of a childâs life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.