More hope for GBV victims as Butiama Safe House gets new premises

MARA: The inauguration of new buildings for girls and women fleeing acts of Gender Based Violence (GBV) which include Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) at Butiama in Mara Region, renews hope and joy to the victims craving for a better life.

The new building is an expansion of Butiama Safe House which is owned and run by Hope for Girls and Women in Tanzania (HGWT), a local non-government organization that has been working hard to combat GBV in the region.

Officiating at the opening of the blocks, the Polish Ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Sergiusz Wolski congratulated all stakeholders who teamed up to implement the project successfully.

Mr Wolski described GBV as a global issue that can only be eradicated through joint efforts.

The Ambassador said he was happy to see key anti- GBV stakeholders, including representatives from the police force, judiciary, social welfare department and religious leaders during the launch of the new buildings.

According to Ms Rhobi Samwelly, the founder and director of HGWT, the buildings which include two 80 bed dormitories, two classrooms, a dining hall and an administration block,  will not only host GBV victims, but  will also help them achieve their educational dreams.

“This project is all about protecting girls and women and empowering them to have a better life,”  Ms  Samwelly said in her remarks to the audience at the event which took place last Sunday .

ALSO READ: Women encouraged to pursue legal action against GBV

HGWT is known for a commendable job to rescue young girls from being subjected to forced FGM and child marriages.

So far, the NGO has managed to rescue and shelter a total of 3,277 who fled FGM and child marriages from their homes since 2017 when it was established.

Similarly, a total 1, 232 girls were helped by HGWT to return to school during the same period, thanks to all partners supporting the efforts, the NGO said in its latest report.

FGM is said to be one of the sources of school drop-outs and forced marriages among school girls in Mara region.

However, the reports show that the rate of FGM cases in the region has dropped in recent years.