Funder
The Royal Norwegian Embassy
Partner
Amani Girls Organization, Femina Hip, Pastoral Women's Council
Project Goals
387,200 young people reached through media, including digital platforms
50% increase in use of SRHR services
90% of clients reporting positive experience using SRHR services
40% of community members have positive attitudes toward sexual rights
Overview
HER Future aims to address persistent gaps in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) access, service quality, and rights awareness that contribute to high rates of teenage pregnancy, unintended pregnancies, maternal mortality, and gender-based violence in Tanzania. Implemented in four districts of Morogoro and two districts of Arusha, the project combines health system strengthening, community engagement, youth empowerment, and policy advocacy.
The HER Future project improves SRHR outcomes among women and young people aged 10–24, including people with disabilities. This includes strengthening access to gender-responsive SRHR services, expanding delivery of age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) to in- and out-of-school youth, and advancing a supportive social and policy environment for sexual rights.
Health systems strengthening
- Train health care providers using blended learning, mentorship, and the Beyond Bias model to deliver youth-friendly, gender-responsive, and disability-inclusive SRHR services.
- Strengthen health facilities through a hub-and-spokes mentorship system, supportive supervision, and procurement of essential equipment.
- Deliver integrated SRHR mobile outreach services to hard-to-reach communities, including contraceptives, STI screening, and gender-based violence support.
Youth empowerment & community engagement
- Co-design youth-friendly service spaces and feedback mechanisms with adolescents and youth using digital platforms.
- Implement multi-channel social and behavior change interventions (radio, social media, community dialogues) to increase adolescent youth sexual and reproductive health awareness and counter harmful norms.
- Train and empower community health workers and youth champions to provide SRHR education, mobilize communities, and support referrals.
- Roll out age-appropriate CSE and CSE+Nutrition programs in schools and communities, including teacher training and youth-led peer education.
- Integrate life-skills and empowerment approaches such as Sports for Development and theatre for development.
- Strengthen multisector coordination through Collective Impact Working Groups and school–community–health facility referral networks.
- Develop and disseminate culturally appropriate IEC materials in local languages for adolescents and youth.
- Implement community accountability tools, including health scorecards and community dialogues, to improve service quality.
- Expand youth access to SRHR information through digital innovations (chatbots, mobile apps, online CSE content).
- Promote economic empowerment through VICOBA groups, entrepreneurship training, and climate-smart livelihood opportunities for youth and young mothers.
Policy & advocacy
- Build leadership and advocacy capacity of youth, community leaders, and health managers to champion sexual and reproductive rights and influence policy.
- Strengthen gender-based violence/violence against children prevention and response systems, including legal aid, survivor-centered referrals, and community protection committees.
