Who we are
About Her Initiative
Her Initiative is a young women led nonprofit organization that works to reframes the value of girls and shapes the new norms that break the cycle of poverty and create financial resilience among adolescent girls and young women in Tanzania in order to achieve gender equality and inclusive economic growth.
Most problems that affect young women and girls are in one way or the other influenced by poverty and is amplified by financial dependence. Her Initiative creates a ‘new normal’ for girls; a world in which girls are not held back from reaching their full potential, either by themselves, their families, their communities or by their financial status.
How it started
Our Story
In 2016 Her Initiative was formed by a team of young women led by Lydia Charles Moyo to promote financial freedom for girls and young women. The goal was to create a ‘new normal’ for girls; a world in which girls are not held back from reaching their full potential, either by themselves, their families, their communities, or by their financial status. As a young woman, she was motivated by the hardships she experienced in her journey to financial independence. Lydia, was particularly moved by the number of girls her age who were dropping out of school due to poverty, child marriage, and early pregnancies.
Hence, She started to look out for solutions for her financial limitations as she also helps other young women to become financially independent.
In 2012 Lydia mobilized her fellow high school girls and started conducting self-awareness campaigns on girls’ rights and laws that protect girls and young women in Tanzania. Through that, they reached out to more than 10 schools in Dar es Salaam. Post her joining to University she led entrepreneurship campaign events called Panda to help young women increase knowledge on entrepreneurship and networking with successful businessmen and women. After a series of events in colleges, they decided to start an organization.
Her Initiative stands for a girl who has empowered herself enough to address her social economic problems. Her Initiative aims to reach out to adolescent girls and young women and girls aged between 15 to 35 years. Her Initiative’s team is a resilient group of social change makers who personally identify with the experiences of the young women and girls we reach and who are tenacious enough to tackle Tanzania’s challenging economy head-on through a bold, young women and girls-led initiative.
It is young women and girls’ ideas that are at the centre of the solutions we provide, ensuring that we don’t waste resources on ideas that don’t reflect the needs.
Mission
To promote financial resilience and digital inclusion amongst girls and young women and enabling them to challenge oppressive and discriminatory practices.
Vision
We envision an inclusive society where adolescent girls and young women have power to choose and create opportunities for themselves and others
Values
1. Inclusion – We believe in diversity and equal access for everyone with no discrimination in gender, race, or religion.
2. Innovation – We cultivate an environment where new ideas are embraced, encouraged, and supported to fuel us towards our vision.
3. Learning – We remain open to new opportunities and ideas, focused on our vision and mission, we embrace the need to adapt when needed.
4. Partnership – We believe in collaboration and working jointly with other actors in what we do.
Our strategic Objectives
Strategic Objective 1: To pursue women’s economic empowerment agenda that is inclusive through greater agency, equal opportunities, access, and control over resources.
Strategic Objective 2: To promote women’s economic empowerment at national level within the context of SRHR and GBV.
Strategic Objective 3: Build a sustainable, resilient, and competent organization that supports our efforts towards realizing Her Initiative’s vision, mission, and strategic goals.
Our Theory Of Change
IF an inclusive environment is provided; IF women’s agency and capacity to influence financial and economic decision-making, at both individual level and collectively, is enhanced; IF women’s productive role is recognized and aspirations to become financially independent is respected by the entire society; THEN women will have a voice in decision making and equal access to and control over resources which ultimately will contribute to achieving equal benefits for their economic contribution, gender equality and poverty reduction.
Our Approach
Our organization has adopted a hybrid approach that interlinks Women Economic Empowerment and Sexual Reproductive Health in promoting financial freedom among young women. Our approach incorporates four main key strategies;
- Girls Agency Empowerment; This focuses on evoking self efficacy in a young woman to understand and fights for her rights and voice while amplifying the needs of other young women in the community
- Skills development; this focuses on mindset and skills transformation among young women through training and mentorship to enhance their ability to pursue financial freedom
- Linkages; we create linkages between young women and economic resources.
- Creating an enabling environment; through collective efforts and advocacy, we advocate on socio economic policies and laws that hinder young women from exercising their economic rights and SRHR