Fema Clubs celebrate 20th years anniversary
Femina Hip, in collaboration with the Danish and Swedish Embassies in Tanzania, celebrated two decades of Fema Clubs in Tanzania, yesterday, November 16th, 2022. Fema Clubs, an extraordinary platform pioneered by Femina Hip, are extra-curricular clubs that are active in secondary and tertiary schools nationwide. Fema Clubs are where young people volunteer, engage, and learn transformative life skills by being exposed to a portfolio of training packages.
"It has been a tremendous honor to work with Femina Hip in transforming the lives of youth in Tanzania," said the Danish Ambassador to Tanzania, Mette Nørgaard Dissing‐Spandet, "and through this partnership, we have seen youth start to live healthier lifestyles and positively contribute towards economic and social growth."
"Youth, not only in Tanzania, but all over the world, need the right information to help guide their lives, and I am pleased to attest that Femina Hip has diligently provided that for over two decades," said Anna Mwasha, Femina Hip's newly elected Board Chairperson. "In the future, we hope to expand into primary schools as well, because the knowledge imparted through Femina Hip's 'edutainment' vehicles (print magazine, radio, social media, and other digital platforms) is important to younger children as well."
Femina Hip has registered over 2,370 clubs in secondary schools, with over 230,000 members currently. These clubs are supported by more than 2,720 dedicated mentors who are teachers in their respective schools, and Fema Club alumni. The club mentors do not operate in isolation; they have joined forces to form 81 networks across Tanzania.
"Today, we are delighted to announce that it has been 20 years since our first club was established, in Liwale, Lindi. Over the past 20 years, Fema Clubs have directly engaged and uplifted over 15 million young people who have carried the values, attitudes, and skills they learned into their careers, families, and social lives," said Ruth Mlay, Executive Director of Femina Hip.
Femina Hip is Tanzania's largest youth-focused civil society organization dedicated to motivating, supporting, and educating young people aged 10 to 30. The organization produces print magazines, radio and television shows, social media campaigns, and other digital products to promote healthy lifestyles, sexual and reproductive health and rights, economic empowerment, citizen engagement, and gender equality. For many years, Femina Hip has been funded by both the Danish and Swedish governments to undertake its programs.