Asha: From a desperate young girl to an aspiring farmer
Monday, 20 November, 2023
Asha Salum, a girl with an infectious smile, represents a classic case of the empowerment that training girls from vulnerable environments can achieve. The Timiza Malengo training has given her a sense of direction that many out-of-school girls can only dream of.
For this 24-year-old, who hails from Menia, Kondoa in Dodoma region, the first thing that one encounters upon meeting her for the first time, is her infectious yet sincere smile. This smile seems to stem from her confidence that is either in-born or she has acquired out of her experience as a peer trainer for young girls from vulnerable environments. With a height of about feet, their head covered with an improvised hijab but smartly laid out across her shoulders, Asha’s life was not a bed of roses from the begging.
Through the Global Fund HIV/TB Grant, Timiza Malengo program, Asha received training in income-generating skills and became a peer educator. She chose cow breeding as her business and used her startup capital to buy a bull cow and build a cowshed. She also managed to pay school fees for her sister.
As a peer educator, Asha identifies and enrolls young people into the program, providing sessions on HIV and AIDS education, condom use, gender-based violence, family planning, and more. She encourages AGYW to form groups to ensure the completeness of sessions and retention in the program.
Asha’s achievements are remarkable. She has reached 270 vulnerable AGYW with comprehensive interventions and formed 24 AGYW groups. Her business has grown, with 20 goats and two bulls. She is able to support her sister’s education and take care of her young daughter and mother. Asha is grateful for the positive changes in her life and finds happiness in contributing to the betterment of other young girls’ lives.
Looking to the future, Asha aspires to become a big livestock farmer with a large sunflower farm and a milk factory. Her determination and success are a testament to the impact of the Timiza Malengo program.
Amref Health Africa Tanzania, in collaboration with the Government of Tanzania through TACAIDS, Ministry of Health, PO-RALG and TAYOA implements the Timiza Malengo program in 18 councils across multiple regions. The program targets in and out of school AGYW aged 10-24, providing comprehensive interventions to reduce vulnerability to HIV infections. The program has reached 350,450 AGYW with HIV prevention programs, achieving 98% of the target.
