Written and produced by Theresia Jaffu.
Theresia is an independent entrepreneur from Tanzania and an active member of Msichana Initiative, an organisation fighting for the rights of girls where she also learns about different ways to resist violence. She is also
a community educator, working mostly in the rural areas tackling issues around child and forced marriage in communities. Theresia uses her skills in entrepreneurship to teach her fellow girls how to earn an income from their skills, to be independent and not have to rely on their partner’s income. She believes that through this she can change the societal belief that ‘a girl cannot live without a man, and she must be married so that she can lead her life.’
“My film explores the life of a young woman called Mercy, who was married off at a young age, because of her parents’ economic situation, in addition to many years of not going to school and not really having any skills to enable her to be self-sufficient. After being married off, she interacts with the GAPE entrepreneurial project that is part of Msichana Initiative, seeking to upskill girls and develop their financial independence. She narrates her journey in becoming self-reliant and the deep friendships that she has built with other young women in her community who are on the same path.
The film seeks to challenge young women to raise the voice against being married off early and in the place where pursuing an education becomes difficult to pursue alternative sources to acquire skills that can generate an income. The film also cautions parents to push for the education of girls and the benefits for this.”