Omawa

Okoa Maisha Ya Watoto (OMAWA), ‘Save Children’s Lives’ in Swahili, is an NGO established by a group of teachers in 2010 in Moshi rural district, Kilimanjaro region in Tanzania. OMAWA was established to support and advocate for the needs and rights of vulnerable girls in rural communities irrespective of their identity or background. The organization supports vulnerable children, especially girls, to obtain an education. The beneficiaries also receive psychosocial support to promote emotional well-being, as well as education on HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, menstrual hygiene, gender-based violence, and life skills training from OMAWA peer educators. In addition to working with children, OMAWA also strengthens the capacity of caregivers, grannies, and families through the support of various Income Generating Activities (IGAs) such as piggery and poultry keeping, mushroom and vegetable farming, tailoring and embroidery and local jewelry making.