What happens when you hand over the reins of leadership to a 13-year-old girl with a dream bigger than the sky? Magic. That’s what unfolded when Angela Benjamin Mshana, a bright Form One student from Tabora, became the Executive Director of Her Initiative for a day and she wore that title with grace, confidence, and purpose.
The Girls Takeover program, powered by Plan Tanzania, is more than a symbolic gesture. It is a bold movement that places girls and young women in leadership roles across embassies, organizations, and institutions. It is a declaration that girls are not just the future, they are the present. Recently, our colleague Celine Julius represented Her Initiative at the Norway Ambassador’s residence, where Aidath Ismail took over as the Ambassador for the day. It was a powerful moment that echoed across borders: girls belong in every room where decisions are made.
Angela Benjamin was welcomed by our Executive Director, Lydia Charles Moyo, who introduced her to the team and gave her a briefing on our mission and impact. Angela didn’t just observe, she led. She asked insightful questions, shared her vision, and radiated the kind of energy that makes you believe in a brighter tomorrow.
Our Executive Director for the day visited Saranga Secondary School to meet the beneficiaries of the Mshiko Club. During her visit, she engaged with the club members by sharing her passions and what made her participate in the Girl Takeover program. Her presence brought hope and inspiration to the Mshiko club members. Angela was particularly impressed by the students’ creativity, as they showcased their income-generating activities, including paper envelope products and liquid soaps branded with the Mshiko Club logo. These income generating activities aim at supporting each other in staying at school. The Mshiko club members requested Angela to advocate to UNICEF for their involvement in the Girls Takeover program, highlighting their eagerness to participate and learn more from the program. They saw themselves in her.
Angela is not an average teenager. She is a math-loving, science-driven powerhouse with a fierce passion for justice. Her dream? To become a neurologist and tackle the mysteries of the human brain while advocating for girls’ rights and dignity. Her voice is clear: every girl deserves safety, respect, and the freedom to dream without limits.
Her day as Executive Director was transformative. For her. For us. For every girl watching. It reminded us that leadership isn’t about age, it’s about vision, courage, and the willingness to stand up and speak out. We’re deeply grateful to Plan Tanzania for breathing life into this vision. Because of them, girls like Angela are not just dreaming,they are taking action.
Angela Benjamin showed us that when you give a girl a platform, she builds a staircase for others to climb. Her story is a call to action, let us keep opening doors, breaking ceilings, and rewriting the rules. Girls Takeover isn’t just a program! It is a movement. And Angela? She’s leading it.