Meet Bertha – a #LastingChange Sport Relief winner

Today is International Women’s Day #iwd2014, and to celebrate this fact 3 incredible women are in Tanzania, right now, meeting female entrepreneurs who have received support from last year’s Comic Relief donations.

You may remember me talking about a national blogging effort called “Team Honk” (the force behind my 15 mile walk round London for Sport Relief on my birthday), well behind it are these 3 inspirational women: Annie from Mammasaurus, Tanya from Mummy Barrow and Penny from A Residence. They have been working with Comic Relief on raising money through the world of blogging, and they are now in Tanzania seeing exactly where some of last year’s money went.

So what is Team Honk all about then?
Team Honk is about bloggers raising money and awareness for Comic Relief, and this International Women’s Day #iwd2014, Tanya, Annie and Penny are in Tanzania finding out how donations to Comic Relief last year have created female entrepreneurs and #lastingchange for women, their families and communities and beyond – rippling out #lastingchange in Africa.

This blog post is actually a digital postcard from Tanzania, to showcase one of the many female entrepreneurs that our Chief Team Honkers have met there these last few days.

Meet Bertha

Meet Bertha

This is Bertha. She is a food producer in Dar es Salaam who has received support from the Gatsby Trust. Bertha makes three different types of wine, garlic paste and a flour used to make porridge. In addition to making products she is also now training other women to do the same. Bertha works from a processing plant that she built herself at the back of her property, with room dedicated to each part of her business.

A small amount of money can be all that’s needed to help people in unimaginably tough situations turn their lives around. The Gatsby Trust provides training and mentoring to help women entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground, in very challenging environments.

Comic Relief has awarded Tanzania Gatsby Trust a grant of £264,959 over three years so they can continue helping women in Tanzania.

The number of women running small businesses in Tanzania has increased dramatically in the last 20 years; but these women have faced many challenges, for example, harassment, and demand for bribes from police and officials.

They also face challenges as a result of their gender, a culture that sees them primarily as wives and mothers rather than businesswomen, the demands of being primary carer, their lack of influence in decision making at home and beyond. Loans and finance are harder to access as a woman. Lack of education leaves women without the essential literacy and numeracy skills they need.

The Gatsby Trust helps 1000 female entrepreneurs by educating both women and their partners about women’s rights and providing support and training, it has been around since 1992.

So how can you help?

5 MINS: Please RT, share and support any updates you see with the #lastingchange hashtag.

DONATE: You can help create #lastingchange by sponsoring #teamhonkrelay for Sport Relief.

GET INVOLVED: Join up for your local Sport Relief event here.

Thanks for helping to create #lastingchange

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10 Responses

  1. Such fabulous stories coming out of Tanzania. Amazed that not only has she created this business, but that she actually built the plant herself. That is awesome!
    Sarah MumofThree World recently posted…International Women’s Day: Lasting change – a digital postcard from TanzaniaMy Profile

  2. Mammasaurus says:

    Thanks for sharing my cheesy friend – you are a star x
    Mammasaurus recently posted…Siblings – MarchMy Profile

    • Franglaise Mummy says:

      Absolute pleasure! Thanks for all your hard work, you three honkers 🙂 x

  3. I’ve loved reading all the different things to do with #TeamHonk, Bertha sounds like a total legend 😀
    Kate Williams recently posted…Silent SundayMy Profile

  4. Shell Louise says:

    It’s great to see how the money is helping. #TeamHonk is doing brilliant things! Well done to everyone involved 🙂
    #blogclub

  5. I am loving all the posts about #TeamHonk and sports relief. #blogclub
    Helen & Peakles recently posted…Bees and the Bee Pizza GameMy Profile

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