Amos Trust

Photo: Dira* and her peer support group, who meet three times a week for empowerment sessions, as well as sexual health, life & business skills and self-defence training. * name changed

Earlier this year you will have heard the story of Dira (not her real name) the focus of our BBC Radio 4 appeal in April, read so wonderfully by actor Maxine Peake.

Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of Radio 4 listeners, our appeal raised £46,000 and we were able to share with a whole new audience the impact of the StreetBorn programme, which works with girls and young women aged 15-21 living on the streets of Mwanza, Tanzania.

Dira was pregnant and working on the streets when Amos Trust’s partner Cheka Sana met her. She joined their StreetBorn programme and with Cheka Sana’s support, transformed her own life. She now runs her own tailoring shop. The Amos Trust team was fortunate to meet with Dira in person on a visit to Tanzania in May.

Dira has a steady stream of customers, as well as several students, and is now selling fabric too. Proudly, she tells us her earnings cover food, healthcare and her son's nursery fees, and allow her to contribute fully to the home she shares with her husband, a farmer, and their son.

Thanks to your generosity, more girls and young women like Dira will be supported to leave life on the streets behind and build a new future for themselves and their children. Your support will cover the full costs of the StreetBorn programme for 50 more young women: counselling and psychological support, self-defence, vocational training, start up kits for their small businesses, support to access perinatal care and health services for themselves and their children, help with moving into their own accommodation or moving home with family, and follow up support for up to three years.

Thank you so much for supporting our appeal. To find out more about Amos Trust’s work please visit click here