By Caroline Uliwa
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| Photos by Calvin Kulaya |
Have you ever experienced your loved one crossing the
line? Doing the one thing that if someone told you at the beginning of your
relationship they would do, you’d stake your life on it saying ‘no way…’So many
heartbreaks in our lives are perpetrated by ones we love, be it your family,
your lover or your friends; for seldom is heartbreak from a stranger painful as
that from someone you love/d.
“Many girls who resort to prostitution didn’t start there, at some point they were just vulnerable young ladies. Finding themselves hooked onto a relationship that is rife for statutory rape, as they’re still teenagers with no money looking for support. Before you know it they have attracted a litany of bad relationships until selling their body is seen by them as normal.”
We bumped into Mme Rehema at a roundtable discussion inside TGNP-Tanzania Gender Networking Program’ offices in Dar es Salaam in January. Here she was with numerous other feminist leaders from notable gender rights organizations in the country, who have formed an informal coalition called Tapo Habari.
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| From Left Janeth Mawinza and Mme Rehema Mwateba present at the meet witnessing Mobosoko & Mshikamano Hub apps |
The coalition is currently enacting its first project ‘Kestoria Kavazi’ headed by E&D Readership and Development Agency-SOMA; working with Women Fund Tanzania-WFT, Tanzania Gender Networking Program-TGNP, Msichana Initiative and ‘WaJiKi-Wanawake katika jitihada za maendeleo’.
At this roundtable meet, various stakeholders of Tapo
Habari were present together with the press; where we were introduced to two
smart phone apps namely Mobosoko and Mshikamano Hub. The meet was really a user
training forum steered by the makers of the apps’ Faulu Solutions, an IT firm
based in Dar es Salaam. For seven months since the corona pandemic hit the
country last year, Kestoria Kavazi took the initiative of sourcing these two
apps. With the aim of salvaging businesses for small scale traders together
with providing mental health tools for marginalized groups in society
particularly women.
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| Far left Mme Devota Likolola present at this round table meet |
“You know Mobosoko means ‘mobile market’ now you don’t
have to go to the market, it comes to you. This platform will really benefit
those businesses from Saccos groups. Helping to shine a light on various
products produced by women to a wide customer base in turn assisting them to
alleviate poverty as now this is a ready shop.” Mme Devota Likolola gave her
two cents on how Mobosoko app will help even the playfield for women held
businesses starting from grassroots levels in the country.
Devota has over 20 years experience mobilizing Vicoba
(village community banks) in the country holding the position of president of
Vicoba in Tanzania for over 15yrs, a former member of parliament. She was
instrumental in helping to take Vicoba from the informal banking sector to the
formal sector, when the central bank of Tanzania enacted the Microfinance Act
of 2018.
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| Colleagues of Faulu Solutions the IT firm who have created the Mshikamano Hub & Mobosoko app |
Devota is among the stakeholders of Tapo Habari through
the organization ‘Bonyokwa’; she like others present at this roundtable meet
was there to see these apps for herself and give her two cents on the same.
Mobosoko is meant to bring small holder businesses and SME’s products to
customers’ doorsteps in Tanzania using smart phones. Think of your vegetable
vendor at the market to your butcher or the essential oils maker. Through this
app they will be able to deliver their products to your doorstep starting with
Dar es Salaam, the app will also work closely with local distributors like ‘boda
boda’ drivers to ensure timely delivery.
“This was our first job with a feminist organization,
in making these apps we had to dig deeper so our interest grew on the work done
by Tapo Habari. You know when you deal with women you touch men as well, when
women have a better standard of living. They impact their families and society
positively, so one may think we’ve provided female apps but really they’re
going to impact everybody.” Moses Bunde, Director of Faulu Solutions.
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| From right Mme Devota Likolola learning from Moses of faulu on how Mobosoko app works |
What fired me up about this meet was seeing for myself
how Mshikamano Hub app works. Essentially it is a website that allows the user
to access an AI (artificial intelligence) through a private chat on ‘whatsapp’.
Here you get to tell ‘rafiki’ what your emergency is (so far the name rafiki
looks to stick for this AI) and it then gives you a direct contact of who can
help you. Say that loved one has hit you, tossed you out on the streets or
you’re witnessing sure child abuse.
Tapo Habari is gathering its resources from their
varied human rights experts be it government law enforcement personnel or
mental health experts. Who on a volunteer basis get to be the contacts that
will assist the customers of Mshikamano Hub for free. At this roundtable discussion
there already was a lawyer and counselor present to assist through the
Mshikamano Hub app. “For me as an activist aligned with women & children’s
rights this app gives me great comfort. As for a long time being involved in
raising the alarm on abuse against marginalized groups in society; when we’re
following up for justice to be done. Many times I would get stuck as the
infrastructure present doesn’t allow us to reach everybody. Now with Mshikamano
hub it’ll be easy for anyone to report their cases which will make it easier
for us to reach them and know the stats of who needs help. “Mme Janeth Mawinza
shares
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| Director of SOMA Demere Kitunga sharing with stakeholders of Tapo Habari what Mobosoko & Mshikamano Hub apps can do |
She added that she foresees this app making it easier for anyone even a third party to report when something is going on in a safe manner. For in her experience many times victims are scared to go to the police or social welfare offices fearing to make their issue public. “Now they can call from where they are and talk to a lawyer, police or counselor in confidence.” Janeth continues, she is the director of WaJiKi, her organization is currently responsible for the ‘safiri salama bila rushwa ya ngono’ campaign. Which is pooling together local transport (daladala & bodaboda) providers as well as parents in finding solutions for girls. Who find themselves with no pocket money to get to & from school safely hence becoming vulnerable to sex-tortion, WaJiKi-Safiri Salama
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| Various members of Tapo Habari present at this roundtable meet |
Speaking with the director of SOMA Mme Demere Kitunga recently, it was to learn that both apps will roll out officially in the next couple of months. Currently the project is solidifying the buyers and distributors for Mobosoko app, to ensure they secure their intended target sellers, who in majority are small scale women traders.
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From this roundtable user forum a lot of feedback was shared in order to make the apps stronger in delivering their goals. So currently the team at SOMA is implementing the suggestions to ensure when the apps are officially launched to the public, they serve it well for years to come. Indeed these initiatives with the two apps can go a long way in alleviating poverty for marginalized persons in society as well as providing that first essential listening ear in confidence when one is encountering or has encountered abuse.
n.b. This article was first published in the DailyNews paper in Tanzania with this link https://www.dailynews.co.tz/news/2021-03-106048ea754f17b.aspx
All the photos are by Calvin Kulaya
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