International Women's Day 2014 - #lastingchange

When I got the opportunity to receive a digital postcard from Tanzania I did not think twice about signing up!
Today is International Women's Day and the digital postcard which I am going to share with you is from an inspirational woman who, thanks to money donated to Sports Relief, is making a #lastingchange to both her life and her families lives.

This is Forestiana and she's a wine processor. Her business has grown from making 20 litres of wine a month to 250 litres after receiving help from The Gatsby Trust, Tanzania. Vital business skills, technical training and mentoring has given Forestina the confidence to think big and plan her businesses growth. It means she can work from home and her family has a better quality of life - she also employs 2 others. Forestina helps train up other women to help them with their businesses. She showed us her grape wine and hibiscus wine with great pride.
Comic Relief awarded the Gatsby Trust in Tanzania a grant of £264,959 over three years for the continued work with women. During the last 20 years the number of women who run their own businesses has dramatically risen. However these women face many challenges in their lives. Many are harassed and have police and officials demand bribes. A lot of the challenges that they face are down to their gender. Their culture still sees that women should primarily be mothers and wives. These women are that, but they are also trying to make a #lastingchange by running their own businesses. The finances and loans are harder for women to access and the lack of education leaves them without the necessary numerical and literacy skills.
This is where the Gatsby Trust comes in, it helps 1000 female entrepreneurs by providing education for both them and their partners about women's rights and providing support and training.

You may have seen me and other bloggers tweeting about Team Honk Relay. Team Honk are bloggers who are raising money and awareness for Sports Relief by carrying a baton all the way from Lands End to John O Groats. As part of the celebrations for International Women's Day #iwd2014 Penny, @ A Residence , Annie, Mammasaurus , and Tanya, Mummy Barrow have travelled to Tanzania to see for themselves the #lastingchange that money donated makes to women, their families, communities and beyond. With time this should create a #lastingchange to Africa as a whole.

Team Honk have shared the following statistics which speak for themselves:

70% of the world’s poorest people are women and they own only 1% of the world’s property.

Nearly 50% of all sexual assaults worldwide are against girls aged 15 years or younger

Domestic violence is the largest cause of women’s injury and death – leading to more deaths and disability among women aged 15-44 than malaria, war, traffic accidents and cancer.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that female genital mutilation (FGM) has affected as many as 138 million women and girls in Africa, and the numbers continue to rise every year.

Many women and girls have poor access to education and about two thirds of all illiterate people are women.

So far #teamhonkrelay have raised £22,142!
If you would like to sponsor Team Honk you can here Donate Team Honk
Or text HONK to 70005

Thank you