WHAT WE DO

The CHETI Widows Project aims to support the ideology of women’s empowerment through self sufficiency in business, through health, and through education in Arusha, Tanzania. We are a micro-finace project, meaning we donate the capital to impoverished, HIV+ women with which they start businesses. We aid them in the start-up and support them through the entire process. Currently, we work with 10 women who share two joint businesses from which they earn income to meet the needs of their families, become healthy, and give their children and environment conducive to education.

OUR BEGINNING: In late 2011, we partnered with CHETI: an existing NGO in Tanzania that provides primary level education to hundreds of children.The CHETI Widows Project was born as a response to the suffering of women in Arusha, Tanzania. It is our answer to gender discrimination, to impoverishment, to HIV, and to the children of widows. It is an undertaking that has evolved from a stark realization: children’s education, which garners generous support in the developing world, is only half a battle. The other is providing a student with a mother who is empowered, independent, and filled with the strength and courage to raise her child out of poverty. It is no secret that the developing world is rife with gender discrimination at a criminal level. In Africa, as in much of the world, women are abused, disregarded, stigmatized, and have no voice. HIV positive women who have been widowed by husbands (who have died of HIV after giving their wives the disease) suffer most, but are filled with courage and strength, and have much to offer their communities if they are allowed. HIV compounds an already impoverished widow’s struggle, labels her with paralyzing stigma, and physically debilitates a woman already socially crippled by being female.

OUR MISSION: The CHETI Widows Project aims to give women of Tanzania a better life; we hope to break trends of discrimination, poverty, and stigmatization, and ultimately, to empower women. Women with small businesses not only are able to meet the needs of themselves and their families, but are also socially empowered as community leaders.

This project aims to instill self worth, confidence, a support network, reduction of stigma, and ultimately, the paramount goal of women’s empowerment.

THE WOMENS’ BUSINESS: The 10 women of CHETI have successfully started 2 businesses:

1. A general goods shop: the women collectively run a small general store that sells everything from cooking oil to toothpaste, rice to textbooks.

2.Beaded jewelry and crafts: In a room attached to their store, the women make all sorts of beautiful beaded goods, which can be purchased from our Gift Shop. We have chosen beading as a main business, as it can be done while stationary (as many of the women are sick and weak from HIV), can be done from home (as many must care for children), is a local and much respected trade, and can be mastered after a month of consistent teaching.

WHERE THE PROFITS GO: The profits from the store and beading business are divided among the women, and are used to:

Buy an enough food to give themselves and their families 3 nutritious meals per day
To support their HIV medication: Antiretroviral drugs, or ARVs, are taken to prolong and better the life of an HIV positive person. These drugs, however, can’t be taken without food, and are thus not taken. With income and thus food, women will be able to take ARVs.
To buy their children school supplies and pay school fees.
To save money for house repairs, the purchase of a house, or for rent.
To have access to medical treatments.

WHAT INCOME WILL DO FOR A WIDOW: Income will create a sense of independence for a widow. Self sufficiency fosters empowerment, and empowerment gives a woman a better life, provides a role model for others, and ultimately can change an entire community.

HIV TREATMENT: 7 out of 10 of the widows in the group are HIV positive. Women who are HIV positive are effected not only in their health, but socially and emotionally too. HIV is a taboo subject in most of Africa, and Arusha is no exception. It is also not understood. It is our finding that the common belief is that HIV is contracted through witchcraft, for example, and can be cured through faith in God. Women with HIV are shunned from the community and looked down upon greatly. They have no social support nor acceptance. This means widows suffer alone and are often too scared to tell anyone they are HIV positive, and thus do not seek treatment.

Our Role in Fighting HIV:

Education: We recently put on a 3-day seminar for the women, in which HIV professionals taught them all there is to know about the disease. The women were also taught how to give speeches and seminars of their own to their communities.
Medical Assistance: Healthy women are empowered women. Therefore, we aim to support the healthcare needs of all women. We ensure that ARV medication is taken on course and all HIV related illnesses are treated.

EDUCATION: The women also receive educational seminars on how to run a business. They will not only be earning an income, but will be learning business and money management, and will provide powerful role models for their children. Also, the group will soon be receiving weekly lessons in English, business, and vocational skills from a CHETI teacher.