The teen pregnancy rate in Tanzania is about 25%, due to lack of sexual education and poor uptake of contraception (even though it is provided for free).

The stigma surrounding teen pregnancy is huge. The government banishes young mums from it's public schools, meaning they cannot finish their education and go on to earn a living. Their partners leave and their families kick them out, leaving them with no support. They are too afraid to go to normal hospitals so have little access to antenatal care.

The impact on their mental health is so profound that most commit suicide. Others try to terminate (illegal in Tanzania) with disastrous effects, or abandon the babies in cespits or ditches.

We are supporting a project called the Shelter of Good Hope. It's run by a youth worker, Theo, who (very progressively) believes that the young girls shouldn't be blamed. He has been providing sex education in schools, in addition to teaching the young mums how to make things that they can sell, and providing classes to help them finish their standard education and enable them to access higher education. He has acquired a premises which he is turning into a safe space and, eventually, a place to provide youth friendly health clinics.

We have been doing it up as best we can and have sourced doctors to help. Theo has permission from the schools to teach. What's missing is money to help them start up. Although Theo provides Swahili and cooking classes to raise funds, it's not enough. We are trying to raise £840 to provide them with some furniture and paint for us to finish decorating. We hope to buy as much as possible of this before we leave in two weeks.

Any donations, however small, would mean the world - money goes much further here. You can also sponsor a particular item if you prefer.

(Also, volunteers to help develop the project over the next few years would be really appreciated, get in touch!)

Thanks!

Their very well designed website: http://theshelterofgoodhope.org