What was the initiative?

In partnership with the Pamoja Tunaweza Women’s Centre (PTWC), this initiative brought elderly individuals together over biweekly meals to collaborate on ways to support one another from an asset-based perspective. This approach led the group to identify and prioritize key community challenges and pool their resources to address them. For example, Upendo Group established a livestock initiative to generate income, which helped improve financial access to healthcare. By working through an asset-based perspective, the initiative recognized the challenges faced by the elderly while fostering a space for them to share their experiences in a holistic, respectful, and dignified manner.

What was the community connection?

In 2016, Hanna worked alongside the staff at the Pamoja Tunaweza Women’s Centre in Moshi. This experience ignited her interest and passion for practical development applications while working in partnership with others. The opportunity for sustainable partnership, exploration, and mutual innovation drove her desire to continue this connection through her Fellowship year.

How was it innovative?

The initiative was innovative in its community-led approach, using Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) to empower Wazee (elders) rather than create dependency. By integrating health, social connection, and economic empowerment, it fostered sustainable well-being. The initiative honoured Chagga cultural values, engaged youth for intergenerational impact, and used participatory methods like Photo Voice for evaluation. It shifted narratives around aging, emphasizing capability over dependence, while micro-loans and livestock projects ensured financial sustainability. Adaptive leadership and local ownership cemented its long-term success, proving that true development emerges from within the community, not outside intervention.

What is Hanna doing now?

Hanna completed her PhD in Global Health in December of 2023, bring the first to graduate of the Global Health cohort. Her research primarily focused on exploring a possible imaging future for global health in terms of adolescent sexual and reproductive health in East Africa, knowledge justice, community driven approaches, and reflexivity.