Songwe Region, Tanzania
FOMO Initiative runs menstrual health and teen mothers programmes in the places the national averages hide. Songwe Region has the highest rate of teenage childbearing in Tanzania. It is where our next centre opens.
Women aged 15–19 who have given birth or are pregnant
| Region | Per cent | FOMO Initiative operates here |
|---|---|---|
| Songwe | 45% | Yes |
| Rukwa | 30% | Yes |
| National | 22% | — |
Regions where FOMO Initiative operates. Source: Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey and Malaria Indicator Survey, 2022. National figure down from 27% in 2015/16.
A girl in Songwe is more than twice as likely to begin childbearing than the average Tanzanian girl. That is the gap our programmes exist to close.
FOMO Initiative
FOMO Initiative is a Tanzanian non-profit socio-health and community development organisation focused on women, girls, children and marginalised communities. We combine health education, livelihood skills, entrepreneurship, menstrual health, education support and community-based empowerment.
Verified results
Cumulative outputs from FOMO Initiative's verified programme records, Organisational Profile 2026. Where a number is a planning assumption, we say so.
150
teen mothers trained
Over three years. Source: FOMO Initiative verified programme records, Organisational Profile 2026.
15,000
reusable sanitary pads distributed
Cumulative to 2026. Source: FOMO Initiative verified programme records, Organisational Profile 2026.
500
sewing machines donated to graduates and single mothers
Cumulative to 2026. Source: FOMO Initiative verified programme records, Organisational Profile 2026.
500
maternity kits donated to local hospitals
Cumulative to 2026. Source: FOMO Initiative verified programme records, Organisational Profile 2026.
Our work
Both begin with cloth: the strips of fabric girls still use because nothing better is within reach, and the sewing skills that turn a young mother into an earner.
Livelihoods
Rukwa and Kinondoni, with the next centre under construction at Ivuna, Songwe Region.
A structured second-chance pathway for teenage mothers: psychosocial support, menstrual and sexual reproductive health education, vocational skills, entrepreneurship, and the practical tools that turn training into income.
Menstrual health
“Discard the cloth, take care of your health”
A social behaviour change campaign addressing the lack of education on menstrual hygiene management, outdated cultural norms, and the absence of access to sanitary pads.
Education
School support work responding to the practical barriers that make vulnerable children feel excluded from school life. Delivered in Rukwa and Mkuranga.
Health
Emerging programmeThrough two Sip & Support fundraising events, FOMO Initiative mobilised community backing for maternal health and donated 500 maternity kits to local hospitals, including Palestina Hospital.
The Lishe nutrition initiative is in its early stages, developing around nutrition education and practical food support for mothers and children. It is presented as an emerging programme rather than a mature one.
Programme figures: FOMO Initiative verified programme records, Organisational Profile 2026.
Under construction · planned launch September 2026
FOMO Initiative is expanding its Teen Mothers Empowerment model to Ivuna in Songwe Region. The centre is under construction and planned for launch in September 2026. Songwe has the highest rate of teenage childbearing in Tanzania.
Safeguarding
Three signed policies govern how FOMO Initiative works with children, teenage mothers and women in situations of economic hardship. Copies are available on request.
Partnerships
WECA Korea · Embassy of the Netherlands · Blücher Charitable Organization · Rift Helium · KLM / Air France
CRDB Bank · Silent Ocean · Equity Bank · AfriCraft NGO
Ministry of Health · Regional Commissioner's Office, Rukwa · Dar es Salaam regional authorities · Kinondoni local government authorities
Support our work
Costed, self-contained projects a partner can assess without needing to make contact first. Nothing listed here is under assessment by another funder.
Build menstrual hygiene facilities in public marketplaces and bus stations.
Establish and run a vocational empowerment centre for one year, in one village, for around 25 teenage mothers and their children.
Evidence
Programme summaries and policies, each stated with format and availability.
Programme summary
A structured second-chance pathway for teenage mothers, from training to income
Download Teen Mothers Empowerment Centre, one-page summary(PDF, 656 KB)
Programme summary
A social behaviour change campaign for menstrual health and dignity
Download Tupa Kitambaa Phase 2, one-page summary(PDF, 656 KB)
Development partners, grantors and corporate partners can reach FOMO Initiative directly to discuss collaboration, due diligence or any document on this site.