CelebratingCelebrating EngenderHealth EngenderHealth Women Leaders in Tanzania Title that spans one line Women Leaders in Tanzania Stories collected by EngenderHealth’s Tanzania Office for International Women’s Day, 8 March 2021
Introduction As the world convenes around the theme of “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world” for International Women’s Day 2021, EngenderHealth’s Tanzania team recognizes the accomplishments of their women leaders during COVID-19 – read their stories below.
Rehema George – Knowledge Management Officer, Tanzania Office “Effective COVID-19 response requires us to take the time to listen and amplify the voices of those most impacted, particularly adolescents, youth, and women in Tanzania and around the world. Without these stories, we cannot truly capture the voices of the least heard,” says Rehema George, a Knowledge Management Officer for EngenderHealth’s Tanzania office. Rehema has led program documentation through the COVID-19 crisis. As a Communications Champion, she also collaborates with the global Communications Team to elevate the voices of women and girls and their specific needs during the pandemic and beyond, as well as highlight EngenderHealth’s transformative programming in Tanzania.
Victoria Ikandilo – Gender Officer, USAID Boresha Afya North/Central Zone The COVID-19 pandemic has increased barriers to care for survivors of gender-based violence and violence against children (GBV/VAC). In Tanzania, the availability of essential GBV/VAC services in health facilities, police stations, and courts has decreased, and resources for GBV/VAC survivors have been reallocated to pandemic response. As a result, Victoria Ikandilo, EngenderHealth’s Gender Officer for the USAID Boresha Afya North/Central Zone program, created a WhatsApp group called “WADAU WA GBV” (Stakeholders of GBV), where members can share GBV/VAC resources with regional and district social welfare officers to update GBV directories. These directories have strengthened GBV referral networks and served as a reference for GBV survivors seeking access to services through the pandemic.
Celebrating EngenderHealth Women Leaders in Tanzania Title that spans one line
Rachel Kabwelile – Social and Behavioral Change Communications and Key Vulnerable Populations Officer, USAID Boresha Afya Southern Zone Program “Over the past year, working conditions have become increasingly challenging due to the coronavirus outbreak and losing my mother in the same period. It was a very difficult time for me, but this did not stop me from serving my community,” says Rachel Kabwelile, EngenderHealth’s Social and Behavioral Change Communications and Key Vulnerable Populations Officer for the USAID Boresha Afya Southern Zone Program. During the pandemic, Rachel has been dedicated to ensuring that adolescent girls, young women, and female sex workers have access to HIV prevention and sexual and reproductive health services. Rachel led her team in redesigning program interventions to align with COVID-19 prevention guidelines from the Ministry of Health, implementing one-on-one counselling sessions and HIV self-testing guidelines to prevent large gatherings.
Namara Kasaizi – Accountant, Finance Team, Tanzania Office Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in Tanzania, EngenderHealth has restructured operations to respond to COVID-19 while maintaining programmatic and financial efficiency. As member of the finance team in Tanzania, Namara Kasaizi has assisted her department to support programs through the pandemic by virtually reviewing field work payment requests, advising field teams on financial best practices, and facilitating daily accounting operations.
Veronica Mdalami – Regional Coordinator, Pwani Region, Scaling up Family Planning Programme As a Regional Coordinator for the Scaling up Family Planning programme (SuFP), Veronica Mdalami has maintained strong partnerships with the regional and council health management teams in the Pwani region. Working alongside government officials has enabled the SuFP programme to continue providing high-quality services that adhere to COVID-19 infection prevention guidelines, reach more women and youth, and promote government ownership of family planning service delivery. The SuFP programme is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office.
Celebrating EngenderHealth Women Leaders in Tanzania Title that spans one line
Dr. Mariam Ngaeje – Programme Manager, Scaling up Family Planning Programme Dr. Mariam Ngaeje, Programme Manager for the Scaling up Family Planning (SuFP) programme, is passionate about ensuring that women and girls have the resources to make decisions about their sexual and reproductive health. “When I think about the COVID-19 pandemic, I think of the girls who cannot access family planning services. COVID-19 has limited the availability of family planning for adolescents and young people in particular. This pushed me and my team to come up with innovative ways to reach them,” said Dr. Ngaeje. Before COVID-19, the SuFP programme focused on community-based initiatives that offered family planning services in group settings. With the aim of limiting gatherings, Dr. Ngaeje and her team strengthened the service days approach, through which individuals receive integrated family planning services on specific days at supported facilities. This shift in strategy enabled the SuFP programme to continue providing services through the pandemic.
Elizabeth Ngoye – Head, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, Tanzania Office Elizabeth Ngoye, head of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) for Tanzania, has ensured that EngenderHealth activities continue to practice effective program monitoring despite challenges in collecting data during COVID-19. “The pandemic necessitated innovative approaches to program implementation and monitoring,” said Elizabeth. “We had to develop new strategies for data collection and research and ensure quality through increased data validation.” Elizabeth emphasizes that strong partnerships, especially with the government, have been key in adjusting EngenderHealth’s MEL strategy throughout the pandemic.
Catherine Paul – Project Manager, Expand Access to PAC in Zanzibar Project Catherine Paul is the Project Manager for the Expand Access to Postabortion Care (PAC) in Zanzibar project. Even during COVID- 19, Catherine is heartened by the strides made toward advancing sexual and reproductive health in Tanzania. “Managing the Expand Access to PAC in Zanzibar project has given me the opportunity to work with other women champions in the sector. Through policy changes and institutionalization, tremendous progress has been made in women’s health, especially regarding access to high-quality sexual and reproductive health services,” says Catherine.
Celebrating EngenderHealth Women Leaders in Tanzania Title that spans one line
Dr. Gloria Shirima – Team Leader and Family Planning Specialist, USAID Boresha Afya North/Central Zone Program “My goal is to ensure no woman with family planning needs is left unattended because of the COVID-19 crisis,” says Dr. Gloria Shirima, EngenderHealth’s Family Planning Specialist for the USAID Boresha Afya North/Central Zone program. Dr. Shirima has worked to ensure that the USAID Boresha Afya North/Central Zone program continues to offer a wide range of family planning methods through the pandemic. She and her team facilitated family planning service provision through virtual platforms and implemented COVID-19 prevention trainings for health facility staff.
Dr. Anna Temba – Team Leader and Senior Technical Advisor for Maternal and Child Health and Family Planning, USAID Boresha Afya Southern Zone Program “When I think of COVID-19 and its impact, I am concerned about our already challenged heath system,” says Dr. Anna Temba, EngenderHealth’s Senior Technical Advisor for the USAID Boresha Afya Southern Zone program. “I am concerned about the impact that redirecting resources will have on sexual and reproductive healthcare, as well as the lasting effects that widespread fear of accessing healthcare during COVID-19 may have on the health of the population as a whole.” Through the pandemic, Dr. Temba has prioritized staff wellbeing by leading internal capacity building sessions on COVID-19, seeking psychological support, and accessing clinical care. She has also adapted interventions to meet program objectives while minimizing the spread of COVID-19 by developing on-the-job trainings, creating WhatsApp groups for program monitoring, and leveraging existing infrastructure to provide services.