Faces of Tanzania - a gender transformative photo series

“My secrets to success are knowing yourself, following your dreams and never giving up!”

These are the words of Meena Ally, a former BBC MA presenter and know a well-known media personality across the country. She is just one of the many inspirational voices our Niambie! (Tell me!) programme highlights. We produced this simple yet powerful advice to be shared with our online audience of over 400,000, but even me, the individual sitting behind the camera, cannot help but take her advice on board.

My name is Joseph Minde. I am Tanzanian by birth, but an African citizen by nurture. I grew up in Rwanda, Malawi, Uganda, Zimbabwe and South Africa, and now I am settled and working in Tanzania. I have always thought of myself as a storyteller and to me the world is full of stories! Be it the people we meet or the things we see, these stories are not just meant to be told; they are meant to be felt. It is this “feeling” I strive for in all my work, as nothing is more powerful than a story.

I joined BBC Media Action as a digital media producer in late 2020, excited to be a part of something bigger than me. And that is exactly what Niambie is! It is a multimedia show which targets youth between the ages of 18-35. Niambie uses multimedia and outreach events to create an equal Tanzania where girls can claim their political, social and economic rights.

Tanzania is very much a beautiful country but still an unequal one when it comes to matters of gender equality. This is why Niambie’s work, and the Faces of Tanzania series is so important: to not only show girls that they can achieve their dreams but to tell them that they have a right to!

“A message to the girl and boy child! Have ambition, know your goals, and don’t let anyone pressure you!”

The words of Elizabeth (left). Elizabeth and Rehema are friends who had their dreams snatched away from them after they got excluded from their respective schools because of getting pregnant.

“My dad did not even want to talk to me after he found out and our relationship completely broke down,” Rehama says. She blames bad company and peer pressure for influencing her decisions.

However, Elizabeth and Rehema now have reason to smile, after a change in the laws here have allowed teenage mothers to return to school. Rehema is now reunited with her parents and hopes to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse. Elizabeth hopes to pursue a career in arts and crafts.

Meet Aisha or as she is popularly known ‘Hijab DJ’ - the first woman DJ in Zanzibar. She fought stigma from her community and even her own family to become one of the most popular DJs in Zanzibar.

“The community needs to understand that the world is changing. People have different dreams, not everyone is going to be a doctor or a teacher. Some DJs will be born, some musicians will be born…”

“How can a woman change a tyre?”

This is one of the many statements that have been thrown at Amina. She doesn’t let it affect her.

“If you tell yourself you can’t do it, then that’s how it will play out. If you go in with confidence, then others will automatically respect you.”

Amina is a mechanic in Mtwara. It was her dream to become a mechanic ever since she was a child - a dream she has since fulfilled.

Judy is a tour guide based in Moshi, Kilimanjaro. In a short space of time, she has moved from being a porter to being a tour guide for clients looking to scale Mount Kilimanjaro.

Despite her success, some of her colleagues are still hesitant to fully accept her. Her goals remain clear: continue working hard, be the boss of her life and eventually open her own tourism company.

“Just because I’m a girl, it doesn’t mean I have to work in a bar as a waitress or do household chores as others may expect. I am young and I have a thirst for success!”

Want to know more about these stories? Check out the full interviews on Niambie Tanzania’s social media platforms.

Niambie’s work and Tanzania’s story is still ongoing, but we hope that with each story we tell and with each voice we give a platform, we are building a more equal Tanzania. Be sure to follow the SBCC Summit in Marrakech this December as we look to tell Niambie’s story to the world!

You can also see my Instagram takeover of the BBC Media Action account here – it includes some male champions striving for gender equality too.

Thanks for reading.