Salma’s Story
At four o’clock on a hot and humid afternoon, primary
school pupils do their somewhat military physical
exercises in the small square of green outside their
school before being allowed to return home for the
day. Opening the car door is Salma*, whose home we
are about to visit. In the car, Salma is quiet, but smiles
a little when she is spoken to, and grips her fairly
empty rucksack on her knees. The track home is
bumpy, narrow and slow but we get there quickly. We
greet her mother, a young and welcoming lady whose
head is held high and is all too happy to let us hear her
children’s stories. Outside, perched on five inch tall
wobbly stools and in the shade of a knarled tree,
Salma sits in the middle of her two brothers, Benjamin
and Baraka. Little Benjamin, only five years old, is
definitely the mischievous and funny one, who doesn’t
really understand who we are but is very happy to play
with his paper aeroplane and pull silly facial
expressions just for his own amusement. Baraka, 8,
sits like Salma does: eyes fixed, on the floor, no trace
of a smile whatsoever, rocking back and forth, and just
repeatedly drawing shapes in the dust with a stick.
Each question we ask is followed by a quick glance upwards at the interviewer then a minute or so of
silence before words quietly rush out of her mouth, all as she continues to doodle on the ground. Tears
interrupt her story frequently, which makes her little brother laugh while her older brother gets even
more fidgety, but she manages to tell it, and even bids us goodbye with a small smile. Here is Salma’s
story.
“ My name is Salma, I’m 10 years old, and in Standard 4 (about half way through primary school). I’m the
eldest in my family and live with my two brothers here and my mother. Soon I’ll be sitting my Standard
Four official exams, my favourite subject is English, so I hope to do well so I can become a teacher in the
future. I like studying and helping others to study, teaching others.
Apart from chores, school, and teaching my brothers, I also go to the ‘White Orange’ club in my
community on Saturdays. One of the things we do is talk about heroes. For me, a hero is someone who
can reach their goal. That makes me a hero too, I know, since I will become a teacher so I’ll have
reached my goal too.
I started going to the club last year, when I was in standard three. I started going because I wanted to
escape what was happening at home. My parents were fighting so much. Eventually they divorced and I
felt like I hated them both for making our situation so hard. Last time I stayed with my dad, he beat me
and my older brother severely with a belt.
Tel: +44 (0)20 3137 5500 ● www.childreach.org.uk ● Charity number 1132203
John [the director of White Orange Youth who leads the club counselling sessions] is like an uncle, and
he helped me to understand and respect them. Now I really love both of my parents even though my
father isn’t here. At the club we have learnt about clans and family, and what they stand for. I know it is
so important to have your extended family, of other people outside your family you can love and trust.
They are there to help you. When you’re sick they’ll take you to hospital, when you’re struggling with
books, they might help.
In the club we have also drawn our own heroes, like teachers and doctors. I look at mine a lot. I really
like going to school, going to the club, and talking to my mum. Now I feel I have some kind of peace and
harmony in my life.
”
Childreach Tanzania has been working in partnership with grassroots organization White Orange Youth
since January 2012. In three wards near Moshi town, we have been teaching children about their rights
through clubs, counselling those we identify as most traumatised, training their guardians on counselling
techniques so they can continue to do this themselves after the project, and lobbying the local
government to increase funding available for counselling of abused or neglected children. Like Salma,
most children find that the work around ‘heroes’ has helped most significantly: each child has made their
own hero book, in which they draw or write about difficult things that have happened to them in the
past, and how they, and the people they love, can become heroes and work towards a more positive,
safe and happy future.
Since we began this work, children say that they feel there has been some improvement of adult
attitudes towards keeping children safe and prioritising children. Parents are having discussions with
their children and asking them how situations like divorce are affecting them. Children’s self-esteem and
confidence has increased, and half of the families we work with are demonstrating knowledge of how to
best keep children safe, compared with none at the start of the project. We have also managed to get a
local government council official to agree to include psychosocial counselling in the next budget and plan
so more children like Salma can get the love and help they need to get over trauma they’ve experienced
and become more resilient and strong.
*Names have been changed for child protection reasons.
Tel: +44 (0)20 3137 5500 ● www.childreach.org.uk ● Charity number 1132203