Girls’ Digital Access & Skills Hub (GDASH) Project

Tabora Region, Tanzania, is facing an acute crisis of youth exclusion, directly compromising the economic potential of young women. It records the nation’s highest school dropout rate (7.4%), driven primarily by a devastating combination of poverty, early marriage (58%), and teenage pregnancy (27%)—meaning nearly one in four girls aged 15–19 is already a mother. Girls who drop out, like Salma Idd (whose story of bullying and lack of support is common), are not allowed to return to formal education and face profound social stigma, economic harassment, and lifelong dependency. These young women are locked out of the job market and traditional livelihoods, with no available second-chance pathways. The problem is not a lack of potential, but a catastrophic failure to provide a safe, skills-based opportunity for reintegration into the modern economy. Without an immediate, accessible intervention like the Girls’ Digital Access & Skills Hub (GDASH), this cycle of poverty and exclusion will be passed on to the next generation.

Project Description

The Girls’ Digital Access & Skills Hub (GDASH) is a small-scale, community-based project designed to provide out-of-school adolescent girls and young women (aged 15–24) with practical digital and livelihood skills. It targets 50 out-of-school adolescent girls and young mothers (aged 15–24) who face severe economic exclusion and stigma due to early marriage, teenage pregnancy, or school dropout. Tabora is an urgent intervention point, recording the nation’s highest school dropout rate (7.4%) and high rates of teenage pregnancy.

The core objective is to restore dignity and self-reliance by equipping participants with market-relevant skills for the digital economy.

Key Components:

• Digital Skills Training: A comprehensive 12-month curriculum covering typing, graphic design, social media marketing, basic coding, and photo/video editing.
• Entrepreneurship & Soft Skills: Training in business planning, communication, and leadership, preparing girls to launch digital micro-enterprises.
• Psychosocial Support: Weekly mentorship and peer sessions to address trauma, rebuild self-esteem, and foster long-term resilience.
• Community Engagement: Dialogues targeting over 1,000 community members to challenge stigma and promote supportive environments for girls’ second chances.

The project will establish a permanent Digital Resource Hub with donated computers, serving as a long-term community asset for learning and business incubation. We aim for at least 70% of participants to generate income through digital livelihoods within 12 months. The top graduates will receive digital startup kits (microgrants) to launch ventures, contributing to a self-sustaining fund for future cohorts. CODEWA, with over a decade of grassroots experience, is committed to transforming these marginalized young women into confident, economically independent digital leaders.

Project Goal

To empower 50 out-of-school adolescent girls and young mothers in Tabora by providing them with digital skills, entrepreneurship training, and psychosocial support, enabling them to reintegrate socially and economically, generate income, and rebuild their self-esteem, while fostering gender-equitable norms and shifting societal attitudes toward second-chance education and economic opportunities for girls.

Project Objectives

Focus Area	Objective Statement
1. Economic Reintegration	Promote the social and economic reintegration of 50 out-of-school adolescent girls and young mothers in Tabora within 12 months by equipping them with market-relevant digital skills, entrepreneurship knowledge, and access to startup resources.
2. Economic Impact	Reduce gender-based stigma and economic exclusion by enabling at least 70% of participants to generate income through digital livelihoods within 12 months, while shifting perceptions about the value of girls who have dropped out of school.
3. Community Mindset Shift	Foster gender-equitable norms and support for second-chance education by engaging at least 1,000+ parents, teachers, community leaders, and peers through dialogues and awareness campaigns over the period of 12 months.
4. Psychosocial Well-being	Enhance the psychosocial well-being and long-term resilience of participants by providing continuous mentorship, mental health support, and safe peer networks over the program, measured by pre/post surveys on confidence and mental health.

 

Project Beneficiaries

The beneficiaries are clearly defined in two groups:

Beneficiary Type	Description	Key Intervention
Primary Beneficiaries (Direct)	Out-of-school adolescent girls and young mothers aged 15–24 from urban and peri-urban areas of Tabora Municipality. These girls have dropped out due to teenage pregnancy, early marriage, abuse, or exam failure, and face deep poverty and stigma.	Market-relevant digital skills, entrepreneurship support, psychosocial services, and access to the Digital Hub.
Secondary Beneficiaries (Indirect)	Over 1,000+ community members including parents, teachers, caregivers, local leaders, and peers.	Targeted awareness campaigns and community dialogues designed to challenge stigma, promote acceptance, and foster gender-equitable norms.

Current Status and Final Milestone

CODEWA has already completed the foundational requirements necessary to launch the project:

• A dedicated training room has been secured in Tabora
• 10 computers donated by partners are already on-site and ready for use
• Essential equipment, including a projector, printer, and camera, has been secured

The final milestone required to operationalize GDASH is the procurement of basic furniture, including desks, chairs, and lockable storage, extention cables as well as painting the room. Once this gap is addressed, training activities can begin immediately.

🤝 How to Get Involved

Your support can make our Hub thrive. Here’s how you can help:

• Donate furniture or materials — desks, chairs, or computers will enable us to conduct trainings effectively.

• Support volunteer facilitators — contributions toward transport or small allowances help sustain their commitment.

• Volunteer as a trainer or mentor — share your expertise with young people eager to learn.

• Partner with us — join hands to expand youth empowerment and mental health initiatives.

Together, we can make the Hub a vibrant space for learning, innovation, and community transformation.

No effort is too small. Every dollar counts.
Let’s turn the Hub into a home of hope and innovation—together.

???? Questions? Contact us at info@codewatz.org