ETHICAL AFRICAN TOURS - TRAVEL THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE!

More travellers are looking for holidays that give back and when local communities can have a long term positive impact from tourism it becomes mutually beneficial. When you travel with me on an African photography tour we support local businesses, people and communities.

WHAT IS THE Hawega Foundation?

The Hawega Foundation is a nonprofit organisation in Tanzania which is providing education and options to encourage stopping the traditional practice of FGM (Female Genital Mutilation). This incredibly awesome NGO (non-government organisation) is ethically and responsibly changing the lives and empowering Datooga Tribe families and communities.

One of the first formally educated boys of the Datooga tribe, Sainga, is giving back to his community and changing the lives and futures of Datooga girls. The Hawega Foundation was founded in 2021 and the small team behind this amazing NGO have set up an incredibly successful, responsible and thoughtful model of operation.

WHAT IS FGM?

FGM is short for Female Genital Mutilation which is also often referred to as female circumcision. It is a cultural practice for many of the tribes I’ve visited in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania with a reported 230 million girls and women worldwide that have been cut. Whilst it is mostly “illegal” now in Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania to perform FGM it is still widely practised due to the deep traditional belief of the benefits and necessity to be socially accepted and for the girls to be married. In recent years there definitely are more communities and tribal villages in Kenya and Tanzania that are discontinuing practising FGM, but it is a slow process to change such deep rooted traditions that have been undertaken for hundreds of years.

FGM is where the external female genitals are partially or totally removed due to traditional beliefs. It can cause death, unbearable pain and many other complications including infections and challenges during childbirth. Contrary to what many outsiders initially believe it is the females who arrange this and “cut the girls”. The men do not generally have anything to do with this decision, however many men are proud of this tradition in their tribes.

There are some amazing books i’ve read and can recommend about peoples experiences and lives related to FGM.

To read more about FGM I highly recommend reading the following books.

1) “Desert Flower” by Waris Dirie. Waris was born in Somalia and details her life including her circumcision at age 5 with a blunt, dirty blade that nearly resulted in her death.

2) “The Girls in the Wild Fig Tree” by Nice Leng’ete with Elizabeth Butler-Witter. Nice is a Maasai in Kenya and she ran away and refused “the cut”. Her story is inspirational and brave and shows how change can come from within the tribe. She has so far contributed to stopping more than 16,000 girls being cut (FGM) and has created a safe place for girls.

HOW DOES THE HAWEGA FOUNDATION STOP FGM?

A truly incredible model for success, this amazing Tanzanian NGO provides formal education opportunities for young girls in exchange that their mothers agreeing to not “cut the girls”. The girls attend a private boarding school and receive their formal education. This is the initial aim of the Hawega Foundation, however with the value of education becoming more valued in the Datooga villages it will be interesting to see how this remarkable NGO will evolve over the coming years with their continued focus on helping and contributing to the local communities.

WHAT IS SO AMAZING ABOUT HOW THEY DO IT?

There are two amazing ways that the founders have set this Tanzanian NGO to be built for success.

RECEIVING DATOOGA EDUCATION AND HAVING A DATOOGA TRIBE MAMA WITH THEM AT SCHOOL!

Firstly the Datooga girls in the Hawega Foundation program keep their culture! It is extremely impressive as one of the negative sides of tribal children leaving their villages to receive a formal education is the general loss of their cultures. However, with an agreement with Silverleaf Academy the girls have a “Mama” from their tribe stay with them at this wonderful private school. The Mama is from the Datooga tribe and speaks to the girls in their native Datooga language. The Mama also teaches them about the tribes traditions and culture as well as being a “mother” figure to all the girls while they are at boarding school and away from their families.

Apparently towards the start of the program when the girls came home to their villages in the school holidays their village could see they kept their language and culture and still fitted in to the village way of life. The education they are receiving is both academic but also cultural. It inspired more mothers to consider the Hawega Foundation school program for their daughters.

creating lasting change for Datooga Girls with a brilliant change from within the tribe!

Advocating for stopping FGM has come from within this Tanzanian tribe! This is really paramount in making changes to long standing traditions and incorrect beliefs about FGM with African tribes like the Datooga. Education from within the tribe about FGM creates so much more success rather than outsiders coming in and telling the tribal elders to stop practising their traditions and changing their cultures (even although the outsiders have good intentions).

Changing Tribal Traditions

From my experience and time spent in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Kenya, I understand that the traditions of the tribes date back to hundreds of years ago. It is not easy to change traditions and thoughts and beliefs that have been passed down through generations. However, the most successful changes I’ve seen are changes from within. Many organisations and NGO’s come into tribal villages and try to get them to change certain traditions without success (like FGM). However, when you have someone respected in the tribe that advocates for change in the way that is respectful within the tribe the tribe is more likely to listen. That is why I was initially so eager to learn more about the Hawega Foundation and how Sainga has managed to set it up.

THE DATOOGA TRIBE IN TANZANIA HAVE A BEAUTIFUL CULTURE FULL OF RESPECT. IT WAS WONDERFUL ON THE TANZANIAN GIRLS TOUR TO LEARN ABOUT THE HAWEGA FOUNDATION AS WELL AS SPEND QUALITY TIME IN A TRADITIONAL DATOOGA TRIBE VILLAGE NEAR LAKE EYASI.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE HAWEGA FOUNDATION?

One person can make a big difference in the world. One kind person offered to sponsor Sainga as a young child so he could receive an education. Due to Sainga being educated he has successfully set up his own safari business and also the Hawega Foundation and is now changing more lives within his tribe with the power of education whilst also reducing girls undergoing FGM. Educating one person has created a positive and everlasting ripple effect with significant benefits to his village.

Help others without expecting anything in return

The Hawega Foundation model of educating these girls is commendable.

Retaining their culture whilst gaining an education is impressively inspirational.

It is a thoughtful and responsible program.

CONTRIBUTING TO lasting change adds an amazing purpose to your trip and is mutually beneficial

Initially mothers were sceptical about the program and not “cutting their girls”. With five of the nine families initially set up to start the program (2021) pulling out at the last minute. However, with the Datooga mothers now understanding and seeing the success of the girls getting an education and a greater understanding of the benefits of stopping FGM for these girls the only thing stopping more girls from joining the program is money.

When my group visited in 2024 there were 25 girls in the program. There are more families ready now that want their girls to participate in the Hawega Foundations program!

Click on this link for more information or to enquire about sponsorship on the Hawega website.

TANZANIA ECO-TOURS THAT HAVE POSITIVE LOCAL IMPACT

Using a local tour company, supporting the Hawega Foundation and ethically visiting tribes and communities means joining me on a TANZANIAN TOUR had a positive local impact. Interested in joining me on an African tour? CLICK HERE and express your interest.

I do not have an agreement with Hawega Foundation, but I support their cause and am passionate about what they are doing and how they are doing it. I want to contribute to saving girls from FGM and raising awareness that everyone can contribute to changing lives and making a difference…no matter how big or small the gesture!

Please note that I do not encourage, like or agree with tourists that have school visits on their itineraries during school times. This visit on our trip was prearranged and minimised any time that the children were out of their classrooms. Most of our time at SilverLeaf Academy was spent without the children or when they wouldn’t have been in class. Ideally a time out of school hours would be arranged but on this tour was just not possible and it was a surprise for the girls on the tour to meet the girls.