All in the Family

At the mothers’ forum for the adolescent girls clubs, I met Martha (center), who is the leader of her girls club. As the leader, Martha received special training to educate other members on important issues, including early marriage, menstruation and HIV/AIDS, and is in charge of all of the club’s activities.

Martha’s mother, Sophia, was also at the mother’s forum. She is a community health volunteer who visits more than 150 households every month providing vital health information, identifying common diseases such as Tuberculosis and Malaria, and selling health related products such as soap, saline and sanitary napkins. Her best sellers are soap and iodized salt, which helps prevent thyroid problems and mental retardation in children.

Seeing two strong women leaders in the same family made me confident that women in Tanzania really can be pathways out of poverty for their families and communities.
And maybe President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf will not be the only woman president in Africa for much longer!