Get To Know Us!
Dare Women’s Foundation is an NGO that empowers Tanzanian women and girls through poverty alleviation, social justice, economic empowerment, and gender equality, focusing on rural areas. Many of the women we work with live with the realities of sexual assault, domestic violence, and gender discrimination. Many women throughout Tanzania lack access to menstrual hygiene products and related education. This often leads to early marriage, large family size, and financial dependence on a spouse. By bringing women together, educating them about their rights, giving them a voice, and supporting them in their endeavors, Dare Women’s Foundation is changing Tanzania one woman at a time by offering the tools she needs to achieve independence and self-sufficiency. We believe that when you educate a girl, you educate a community.
Maggie Simbeye Duncan
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Our Executive Director and Founder, Maggie Duncan Simbeye, is second to none when it comes to community work. She acts as the cornerstone of many of the communities in which Dare operates and has single-handedly inspired women across Tanzania to take initiative and become changemakers like herself.
As the owner of Maggie’s Tours, a Tanzanian-based safari company, she combines her work as a tour operator and driver guide (one of the very few women in Tanzania to do both) with her work in philanthropy through Dare Women’s Foundation to bring income from the safari industry directly into the local communities she operates within. |
Certified as an Occupational Therapist, Nishaeli is passionate about educating communities about children who have learning difficulties and disabilities, like dyslexia. He uses his medical background to deliver mental health seminars to rural communities who may not have access to these types of resources and also delivers trainings to primary and secondary school teachers about how different students may require different teaching styles depending on their capabilities. Day-in and day-out, Nishaeli is working with women, men and children throughout Tanzania to further the mission of Dare and offer support and guidance to anyone who might need it. |
Nishaeli Kileo Frank
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“Since founding Dare Women’s Foundation in 2005 and registration as an NGO in 2013, I feel so proud to see women, girls, and even men start to create change in their communities and villages. In Tanzania, most women stay at home to take care of children, collect firewood for cooking, walk very far distances to fetch water, prepare meals for the children and their husband, build the houses, and sometimes even milk the cows! Unfortunately, we see many cases of rape and domestic violence among the husbands of these women. But through Dare Women’s Foundation, we are seeing a change. Women are starting their own businesses, receiving training on how to make reusable sanitary pads, joining support groups and rugby teams, just to name a few!
When I started my campaign of creating women’s groups in 2005, I’ve come across many ups and downs. Many men did not want their wives to join the groups. But I did not give up! It’s been a long road, but now many women, and even some of the men who did not like the idea at first, are a part of Dare Women’s Foundation. I do not want to see my Tanzanian daughters and granddaughters experience the same experiences that I, and the other women of Dare Women’s Foundation, have encountered. Many thanks to every single person who has supported us in terms of ideas, financial support, volunteering, connecting us, and so much more. Without you all, it is very difficult. Together we can!” Maggie Duncan Simbeye Executive Director and Founder |
Learn About Our Partnership with Maggie's Tour Company
By partnering with their safari company, Maggie’s Tours, Maggie and Nishaeli are able to bring safari clients directly into the local community spaces that they operate within through Dare Women’s Foundation. In doing so, they facilitate true cultural exchange between clients and Tanzanians and provide their women’s groups with a market to whom they can sell goods. Clients are welcome to share meals, conversation and ideas with the women of Dare Women’s Foundation and, in doing so, Maggie and Nishaeli operate within a tourism structure that directly benefits and brings income to local communities throughout the country. Community-based tourism offers a platform for authentic sightseeing that truly brings benefits to local actors that are normally ignored by the safari industry. Through their sustainable, ethical company, Maggie and Nishaeli are transforming the safari industry one client at a time.