Brenda’s story

Watch Brenda’s story from Arusha, Tanzania

Brenda, a young Tanzanian girl with a dark skin tone, raises her hand among her classmates. The group is outside and Brenda wears a school uniform with a white collared shirt, striped tie, and sweater. They are all a range of medium to dark skin tones.

Meet Brenda, a student from Arusha, Tanzania. Every day, Brenda walks for two hours to collect water for her family—and sometimes it takes so long that she’s too exhausted to go to school. Fortunately, Brenda is connected to the Creative Action Institute (Opens in a new tab), an organization supported by the Girls Opportunity Alliance, which provides community-driven solutions that advance gender equality and climate justice.

“Every day before school, I walk two hours each way to get water for my family. Some days, I’m so exhausted from the intense sun that I don't even make it to school. And sometimes, it isn't safe for girls to walk alone, so we have to go in groups,” she shared.

Through the Creative Action Institute, Brenda joined the Sauti ya Dada workshops that teach girls about climate change effects on their local communities and environment. Through their work, Creative Action Institute reinforces the importance of education for girls and ensures they learn about their rights.

“ I want everyone to know about these issues that young women all around the world like me face,” Brenda expressed. I hope we can all take action together to protect the planet and to support girls. It will create a brighter future for everyone.”
–Brenda