‘Supporting Safe Spaces’: a resilience shelter for women and girls who are affected by drug use and Tanzania’s war on drugs has been opened in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on 15 June 2019.
The launch of the shelter by a local community group, SALVAGE, was made possible through the financial support of the Civil Society Resilience Fund Against Organized Crime, a worldwide programme of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.
The Resilience Fund supports civil society actors to build resilience in communities harmed or threatened by organized crime and criminal governance.
The launch event was attended by officials and local community members, and was covered on local television.
Happy Assan, Director of SALVAGE said:
SALVAGE’s shelter is a vital support mechanism for the community here, particularly women who use drugs. The support given by the Resilience Fund has made this happen, and our community will become stronger as a result.
SALVAGE was created to support the development of resilience activities among women in particular, but also among people who use drugs more widely
Jason Eligh, Global Initiative senior expert, said:
The Resilience Fund is now operational across the world, and the resilience shelter in Tanzania is a shining example of the impact that the Fund is already having in supporting vulnerable communities and individuals. Communities have been blighted by organized criminal networks and the criminal governance that allows crime to thrive. Through the Resilience Fund, we are supporting people and groups, like SALVAGE, who can help their communities respond and rebuild in these dire situations.
TV report by ITV (Swaili only):
The Resilience Fund is supporting SALVAGE to develop the resilience shelter for women who use drugs.
Not only does the shelter provide a safe physical space for those affected by drug use, but also serves as an initial point of contact by directing them to essential healthcare, education and social-services facilities, which provide other key ‘safe spaces’ for people who use drugs.
The Resilience Fund is supporting the construction and equipping of the centre.
It is also working with the SALVAGE leadership team to communicate with the local community about the shelter, and providing practical advice on how to operate and manage the centre. These activities are in line with the Fund’s overall aims to build capacity and incubate resilience in communities by supporting key civil society actors.
Credits:
Creato con immagini di AdamRogers2030 - "UNCDF Tanzania" • USAID Digital Development - "SHOPS Plus, USAID Office of HIV/AIDS" • Avel Chuklanov - "untitled image"