Cheka Sana Tanzania is a Tanzanian NGO working in Mwanza, on the shores of Lake Victoria. They support children and young people living or working on the streets of Mwanza, using a therapeutic, solutions-focused approach which concentrates on children’s potential and strengths.
Their intensive, long-term family support uses play and therapeutic approaches to rebuild relationships between children and their families, ensuring that safe home environments are created and family dynamics are improved.
Cheka Sana’s areas of work focus on street outreach, psychosocial support, basic healthcare, sports, arts, vocational training, family reunification (where possible), and long-term family support.
Girls have been an under-supported group for a long time, and in response to this Cheka Sana’s girls’ centre was established as a vital place where they can be safe, begin to understand and face their trauma and regain their sense of self. Self-defence training with girls and young women is also offered weekly, to increase girls’ self-confidence, power and self-esteem.
I want girls to be confident. I want them to open their mouths and speak up. I want for them to be more confident than me so that they become the ones pushing for change.” Nyangi, Self-defence trainer, Cheka Sana Tanzania
A key part of Cheka Sana’s approach with teenage girls and young women is to educate them about the opportunities to secure income outside of sex work. Girls form association groups to support each other, learn new skills and to be encouraged, along with the wider communities, to learn about child safety and how to address gender violence and exploitation.
Run Without Fear
We invited four young women from Cheka Sana Foundation in Tanzania, to join us in running the first Zanzibar Half Marathon for gender equality. This is their story.
Take a look through our range of resources, including blog posts, downloads and products, to find out more about our Street Justice work.
Join Team Amos and run the Royal Parks Half Marathon through London this October and raise funds for Amos’ On Her Terms campaign. If you’re new to running or want to beat your PB, this is a great challenge and an opportunity to run in solidarity for girls and young women.
“As much of a challenge as we may all be finding the lockdown — which now has more than a fifth of the world’s population living under varying degrees of ‘stay at home’ orders — for those living on the streets, the Coronavirus pandemic is no less terrifying, but the ability to self-isolate or #StayAtHome is not an option available to them. ‘Home’ is on the streets, in abandoned buildings, or temporary structures open to the elements.” Amos’ Director Chris Rose and On Her Terms Lead, Karin Joseph write.
“Their approach is having profound effects, combining group work, support with business training and self-defence sessions. On our third day together, the female workshop participants accompanied Cheka Sana staff members, Nyangi and Revina, to the self-defence training.” Amos’ On Her Terms Lead Karin Joseph reports from her recent visit to the Cheka Sana Foundation in Mwanza, Tanzania.
“I know leaving a legacy is one of the best ways to support Amos — indeed it is the one thing I was certain of when I sorted out my own will 17 years ago, when I was pregnant.” Writing a charity into your will can be a daunting process. Amos’ Katie Hagley says it doesn’t have to be that way.
Selected books, essays, films and podcasts from Audre Lorde to Arundhati Roy; we’ve found that these have provided unique and intersectional perspectives which challenge us and teach us something new. Hand-picked by the Amos team — we hope you’ll enjoy them too. Full details.
On Saturday 18th January 2020, Dieudonné Nahimana, the Founder and Executive Director of Amos’ partner New Generation Burundi, announced his candidacy for the forthcoming Burundian Presidential elections. “In the past 20 years, I have worked to mobilise and train thousands of youth in servant leadership and ethical conduct, and over the years I have felt the pressure from them and personal conviction to rise up to the national level of governance by running for president as an independent candidate. ” Full details.
“Little by little, the Umthombo team began to witness a change in Sibongile. Her outlook on life became more positive and she started to express a real desire to continue with her education and pick up her high school qualifications again.” Karin Joseph shares a story from Umthombo’s girls’ outreach team in Durban.
“We love food here at Amos Trust. We love talking about it, we love preparing it, we love sharing it, and yes, — we love eating it. We take the business of hospitality very seriously and what could be more hospitable than sharing a meal?” Nick Welsh writes about why hospitality and food are so important to Amos’ work.
“If you respect us, you’ll listen to us. If you listen to us — you’ll protect us. Please protect us.” Safety for girls on the street is a daily struggle and the options open to them are often slim; many families decide that child marriage is the safest option for their teenage daughters. On Her Terms Lead Karin Joseph shares her experience of a recent visit to Karunalaya, Amos’ partner in Chennai, India.
Our October On Her Terms update features news from our partner Umthombo in South Africa and their work on the streets with girls and young women in Durban, details of how you can join Amos Trust in Tanzania next summer and how you can do something tasty in October by hosting a Diwali Dinner to raise money for Karunalaya’s work in Chennai in India.
“The sense of outrage has now reached fever-pitch levels in South Africa. But it is nothing new for Umthombo’s staff as they continue to reach out and journey alongside the young women and girls on the streets of Durban.” On Her Terms lead, Karin Joseph writes about the tragic increase in gender-based violence in South Africa.
In our August update, On Her Terms — Lead, Karin Joseph writes about her first visit to Karunalaya, Amos’ partner in India, and explains Diwali Dinners — our new fundraiser which we’re launching this October. She shares news of our first supporter trip to Tanzania to visit our partner Cheka Sana and reveals the next Amos Book Club selection.
At the core of Amos Trust’s work are the individuals who support us. Our work is made possible by you. Large or small, your donation makes a real difference.
Amos Trust
St Clement’s
1 St Clement’s Court
London
EC4N 7HB
United Kingdom
Telephone:
+44 (0) 20 7588 2638
Email:
office@amostrust.org
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1164234
