Founder's Wisdom
I remember sitting with my grandmother by the fireside in the southern highlands of Tanzania… Listening to her story and watching her face glow as she shared her truth. That is a memory I will keep with me always…connections created around the fire. When I retired as the Director of National Response for the Tanzanian Commission of AIDS (TACAIDS), I saw first hand the gap between the elderly and youth.
Instead of intergenerational fireside chats, older women were isolated and forced into their homes, while many young people became increasingly disconnected and fell through the cracks. Facebook chats have replaced in-person conversations and quick-fix solutions have replaced wisdom sharing through stories.
Tap Elderly Women’s Wisdom for Youth (TEWWY) was created to bridge this gap and share wisdom from elderly women to serve and support communities' mental health needs. TEWWY feels that wisdom isn’t reserved for a select few, but rather all those brave enough to share their truth are wise & are capable of changing the world. Sharing this wisdom with those that need it most is at the core of TEWWY so that when immediate support structures fail, young people can be supported & encouraged to find their own wisdom.
Watching my daughter struggle with her mental health, loosing all hope and sense of purpose - as a mother I've never felt more defeated. Not able to offer her the comfort she needed across the ocean, or help her see that she belonged in this world with us, I could only pray that she finds the support she needed in her community.
And together we made it our life's mission to raise awareness and promote mental health, providing our communities with sustainable tools & resources to promote everyone's mental health.
Directors
RUSTICA TEMBELE
RUSTICA TEMBELE
RUSTICA TEMBELE
FOUNDER & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Rustica is the consummate social innovator and social entrepreneur; providing critical leadership in mental health awareness, strategically and creatively implementing intervention programs with a passion for people and desire to uplift communities. Masterful at communicating with external constituents and helping them buy into a vision that is focused on program and organizational mission, Rustica paves way for multi-sectoral collaboration.
Rustica’s leadership and organizational skills are evident across various domains such as strategic planning, community relations, local politics, fundraising and operation’s. Rustica is the lead responsible for coordinating all of the Local Government Authorities (PORALG) logistics for the seamless operations in districts of Dar-es-Salaam and its surrounding communities.
NEEMA TEMBELE
RUSTICA TEMBELE
RUSTICA TEMBELE
CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER
An effective communicator with an organic delivery system, passionate, and always full of enthusiasm - Ney is vocal about her struggle with depression, anxiety and mental health - inspiring family, friends & others to speak-up and find strength, belonging & healing within community.
With a background in Mathematics and Data Analytics, Ney assumes the role of interim Data Analytics Director, utilizing skills in behavioral data analysis, experimental and survey research, and statistics, for monitoring and evaluation of project data and analytical reporting. She is also the international liaison for organization development and partnerships, spearheading fundraising initiatives on global platforms.
Ney teaches Yoga as a radical tool in creating just and sustainable communities through the promotion of mental health & wellness.
MORRIS LEKULE
MORRIS LEKULE
MORRIS LEKULE
DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS & SUSTAINABILITY
Former Director of National Response to HIV & AIDS with the Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS) with a strong background Educational Guidance and Counseling, Morris is equipped with the skills required to establish effective and trusted communication lines between communities and support systems.
Morris has served as Career Guidance and Counseling Coordinator for VETA and Aga Khan Education Services in Tanzania (AKEST) as well as Communications and Community Mobilization Coordinator of Mailman School of Public Health (MSPH) in Tanzania. He also consults for Tanzania Health Promotion Support (THPS) in establishing income generation groups for key populations.
ALMASI SAIDI
MORRIS LEKULE
MORRIS LEKULE
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION
Extensive financial background with 30+ years of experience working with local and international institutions, Almasi possesses a unique set of skills for complex budget development and effectively performing intricate and accurate book-keeping and accounting financial statement analysis for large data.
From preparing financial and regulatory reports required by law, regulations, board of directors and donors to scheduling outline due dates relevant tax documents to be compiled and sent to donors and for filling relevant nonprofit compliance taxes and documents in Tanzania, Almasi’s scrupulous attention to detail allows for smooth program operations.
Operations
SIXTHA KOMBA
AVAILABLE POSITION
AVAILABLE POSITION
MONITORING & EVALUATION OFFICER
Conducts performance monitoring of projects and programs to provide routine feedback for evaluation & learning.
Also contributes to evaluations on projects, programs, or thematic issues to improve programs and inform policy.
AVAILABLE POSITION
AVAILABLE POSITION
AVAILABLE POSITION
FINANCIAL ASSISTANT
Processes transactions and reviews documentation to ensure requests are completed timely & accurately.
Works closely with internal business partners, management and project teams to drive positive change within operations.
Volunteers
JEFF MULEJU
JEFF MULEJU
JEFF MULEJU
MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATE
Supports the multi-channel management of social platforms to promote and elevate TEWWY's work of raising awareness and promoting mental health. Also assists in the development and implementation of original digital content.
HELP NEEDED
JEFF MULEJU
JEFF MULEJU
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT
The R&D Assistant coordinates schools & communities fieldwork including program observations, meetings, program planning and focus group facilitation, collection and management of quantitative and qualitative data.
DAUD AMIR
JEFF MULEJU
DAUD AMIR
YOUTH DISSEMINATOR
Promotes the sustainability of TEWWYs initiatives by sharing experiences & lessons learned from the Mental Health Intervention Programs within their communities and harm-reduction organizations.