Source: Tanzania Daily News
ANGLICAN Church Mara Diocese is scheduled to launch a massive campaign against gender based violence (GBV) and HIV/Aids in Serengeti District on Saturday. The function will take place at Maburi village, according to the Programme Manager, Ms Rhobi Samweli.

"All necessary preparations are ready and we will have a variety of traditional dance groups to convey messages against gender based violence and HIV/Aids during the event," Ms Samweli told the 'Daily News' on Thursday.

The event is expected to be graced by the Serengeti District Commissioner (DC), Mr Edward Lenga, she added. Other invited guests include the Bishop of Mara Anglican Church Diocese, Hilkiah Omindo Deya and senior officials from the Serengeti district council.

The one year programme targets 12 villages in Serengeti district that are reported to have the most cases of gender based violence such as female genital mutilation (FGM) and women to women marriages.

The campaign will involve imparting anti-gender based violence education and awareness through community meetings, road shows featuring traditional dances, radio programmes, peer educators from every villages, posters and booklets.

"We are officially launching the programme tomorrow and will also have local leaders from all 12 villages in attendance," she said. The programme is dubbed "Serengeti: We Can Live without HIV/AIDS and Gender Based Violence and Female Genital Mutilation," is funded by Rapid Fund Envelope (RFE) which is sponsored by USAID.

Villages set to benefit from the programme include Mununa, Gusuhi, Maburi, Hekwe, Mesaga, Kenyamonta, Nyambureti, Ringw'ani, Nyamitita and Kenyana. The project also aims at empowering women and men by providing them with income generating projects with widows and widowers getting top priority.

• Tanzania