We are a group of 10-14-year-old authors, illustrators, and activists at Cheche Community Library in Monduli, Tanzania. We created this book to share about gender-related challenges in our community, and our ideas for how to address them.

In this section, we explore some of the gender-related challenges we face in our community.

A girl is focused on her studies, but her father is thinking about money. A boy is thinking about marrying this girl who is thinking about her studies. The father forces the girl to get married.

Father comes home with his daughter. He tells Mother, “Our daughter can start school.” But Mother shouts, “Don’t you see she is handicapped in her legs and eyes?” The girl says, “It’s true that I can’t see, but I am smart and I can hear.”

A pregnant mother works so hard. She cooks, washes dishes, and carries a crying child on her back. Another child cries that she is hungry. Father is on his phone, he has been given tea because Father must be fed first and others later.

Father denies a child her rights. He said, “You can’t go to school, because you are disabled.” Mother said, “Why are you denying your child her rights?” Father said, “This child should look for work.” Mother said, “I’ll take you to the

police if you don’t take her to school.” Father said, “Fine, I’ll take her to school, but only until Class 7.” Mother told him, “If you don’t take her, I’ll report you.” Father said, “Even if you do, I won’t take her to school.”

Children do hard labour as a result of mistreatment by parents or guardians. For example, many step-mothers like to abuse children. This is a challenge for both boys and girls.

This boy is dreaming about studying, but he has never been to school. He says, “Father favours my sister, but I have never been to school. I will go to school.”

Father beats the child for no reason. Father laughs.

Mother does hard work. Mother has to work beyond her ability.

A child gets married at a young age.

A young child is denied the right to study or to get an education.

A young child is married before she is ready or is forced to be married before she is old enough.

A child is chased away from home.

A mother prevents a child from going to school so that she can stay home and do housework, while another child goes to school.

A mother is advising a father to take their child to school because the father does not want to. The mother wants the child to go to school. The father wants her to get married early and stop school so that he will receive cattle.

In this section, we explore some of our ideas for addressing gender-related challenges in our community.

If you see a child begging on the streets, it’s best to help them, like this mama did. She met a begging child. She took her to a restaurant, then went to the police to get permission to live with her, then informed the village chairperson.

We need to educate people about gender issues through religious gatherings and community meetings.

A mother realized a woman wanted to stop her child from going to school. She told her about the harm of denying a child their right to education. They are discussing the importance of a child continuing education and achieving their dreams.

We need to educate parents not to argue in front of their children. Conflicts between parents cause a child to experience mental stress and to struggle with their studies, and may even lead the child to drop out of school completely.

We need to make sure that all children go to school so that they get the best education.

A mother is abusing her child. The child goes to report her mother to the police. The mother is arrested.

Through social media, you can educate the community and the nation.

We need to help children who do not have basic necessities for school so that we ensure all children receive their right to education.

We need cooperation. We need to listen to people’s advice and implement it. You will find that someone wants to speak, but someone says, “This person has nothing meaningful to say.” But they have something important! Let’s love each other.