Salisbury Soroptimists Help Bring Dignity and Opportunity to Girls in Tanzania

Women in Salisbury are helping to change the lives of girls thousands of miles away after a successful funding bid, supported by Salisbury Soroptimists, secured £6,000 from the Soroptimist International Foundation for Salisbury-based charity EdUKaid.

The funding will support EdUKaid’s Heshima and Nanyamba Wash Projects in rural Tanzania, where menstrual health stigma, a lack of facilities and harmful gender stereotypes can prevent girls from attending school or completing their education.

Heshima means dignity and respect. The projects work in schools and local communities to help girls understand their bodies, manage menstruation with confidence, and challenge attitudes that hinder their education. Girls’ Clubs provide safe, supportive spaces where girls can learn about their health and rights, develop leadership skills, build self-esteem and support one another.

The £6,000 donation will fund essential resources for these clubs, including materials to make reusable sanitary pads, learning resources and stationery, equipment to create welcoming spaces, and sports equipment to encourage teamwork, confidence and wellbeing.

Rose, who was just 12 when she began missing school after starting her period, illustrates the difference this support can make. Frightened and ashamed, she did not understand what was happening and had no access to menstrual products or reliable information. Through the Heshima Project, Rose learned how to make reusable pads, gained the confidence to talk to her mother and returned to school every day. She is now one of the top students in her class and dreams of becoming a teacher.

Following successful work in two rural districts in Mtwara, EdUKaid plans to expand the project into Nanyamba District, reaching 2,000 girls across 17 schools within 12 months, with the potential to benefit a further 7,500 girls as inclusive education practices become embedded across the district.

For Salisbury Soroptimists, supporting this successful bid shows how a local club can drive meaningful change on a global scale.

Soroptimists work to improve the lives of women and girls through education, empowerment and opportunity. As part of an international movement, Salisbury members can support projects that address inequality and help women and girls realise their rights and potential, while building friendships and taking action in their own community.

Eleanor Evans, spokesperson for Salisbury Soroptimists, said: “We are delighted that EdUKaid has been awarded this £6,000 grant and proud to have supported its bid. Every girl deserves the chance to learn, fulfil her potential and shape her own future. These Projects are helping to remove barriers that prevent girls from getting an education, and this funding will give them practical resources and the confidence to thrive”.

“It also demonstrates that being part of a local organisation can have a reach far beyond our own community. Women in Salisbury can be part of an international movement making a real difference to the lives of women and girls around the world.”

Salisbury Soroptimists welcome enquiries from local women who would like to find out more about the club, meet like-minded people and be part of projects that make a difference locally, nationally and internationally.