Kiwohede: Kiota Womens Health and Development

Located in Bunju B Dar es Salaam is Kiota Women's Health and Development (Kiwohede), a home for at-risk girls. Kiota, meaning 'nest', provides opportunities for young women to look to develop skills to enter the workforce.

The center is a large school-like property with dormitories, a school classroom area, and a cafeteria. The institution also offers a tailoring and weaving training room.

When we arrived at Kiota we met up with a 13 year old girl who showed us to the center director. We were warmly greeted and provided a full introduction to Kiwohede. The facility is meant to house girls for one year and is focusing on preparing them for skills that allows them to earn an income. A daily school program is offered for local children who can't afford an school fees.

Kiota Womens Health and Development (KIWOHEDE) is a non- government organization which focuses on promoting reproductive health, children’s rights, development and advocacy. The organisation was founded in 1998 by health and social worker activists. Since its inception KIWOHEDE has engaged in rights promotion, social economical and development approaches as the organizing principle of its project to serve women, children, youth and the community.

KIWOHEDE’s projects thematically focus on fighting child sexual abuse, violence and exploitations, teen pregnancy, early marriages and school dropouts among girls across the country. Based in Buguruni, one of the low-income areas in Dar es Salaam, KIWOHEDE is further committed to working with poor communities in Tanzania to promote, children, youth, women’s dignity and rights. KIWOHEDEs geographical working coverage area includes: Dar es Salaam, Lindi, Dodoma, Kahama, Kishetu, Meatu, Bariadi, Mbeya(Kyela), Ruvuma, Rukwa, Mwanza and Shinyanga.

The director showed us to the sewing and tailoring room, including the manual pedal style sewing machines that you run with your foot, commonly seen in small shops. Students learn to tailor clothes with the table style sewing machines which can help them get a job. There are also a couple of large looms that students use to create shawls that are sold for a small profit. Many girls have attended Kiwohede, completed the workforce training, and become self sufficient thanks to the skills they learned.

PoHEO actively seeks out new students who can benefit from the programs offered.