About us

Objectives | Vision, Mission, Values | Team | Partners | In the media

WoteSawa is a non-governmental organisation established in 2012 and registered to operate in the Tanzania Mainland with Registration No. 00NGO/0009377. The organisation is based in Mwanza, Tanzania and has two branches’ offices in Kasulu Kigoma region and in Ngara Kagera region.

WoteSawa’s goal is to enhance the domestic work environment significantly, ensuring productive employment and decent work conditions, alongside eliminating child labour and human trafficking in Tanzania.

WoteSawa:
All Equal

WoteSawa was established by domestic workers who refused to remain silent and decided to take a bold step to advocate for their own basic rights.

WoteSawa’s main beneficiaries are domestic workers and those vulnerable to the effects of child labour and trafficking in persons.

Organizational objectives

To empower beneficiaries through entrepreneurship skills and self-reliance.
To advocate and increase awareness on the rights of domestic workers and victims of human trafficking.
To facilitate establishment of a shelter and counseling centers for rehabilitation of survivors of various violence and abuse.
To lobby and advocate on evidence-based policies and strategies issues related to domestic workers.
To sensitize community pressure and peer groups through lobbying and advocacy in legal reform matters concerning Domestic Workers’ and Victims of trafficking’s welfare and interests.
To facilitate the establishment of a platform/Network dealing with domestic workers and human trafficking victims.

Vision, Mission, Values

Vision

WoteSawa envisages a righteous and responsible society in which domestic workers enjoy sustainably decent work; and which is free from human trafficking and child labor.

Mission

WoteSawa strives to empower domestic workers and those exposed to effects of human trafficking and child labor to understand, promote, safeguard and reinforce their rights through social, legal and economic empowerment.

Values

WoteSawa’s ambitions as reflected in its objectives, vision and mission are driven by living its values, which are:

Trust and partnerships

Integrity

Inclusiveness

Volunteerism

Respect and dignity

Gender equality and justice

Our Visionary Team

ANGELA BENEDICTO
Executive Director

Angela Benedicto is the founder and Executive Director of WoteSawa Domestic Workers Organization. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL. B) from the Open University of Tanzania. She has more than ten years of experience in advocating for the rights of children and young Domestic Workers in the Country. Angela is a former domestic worker, who devoted her life to protect Domestic Workers against abuse and exploitation and fight against child trafficking in Tanzania.
In 2011, Angela attended the International Labor Organization (ILO) conference in Geneva lobbying for signing of the ILO Convention No. 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers with other representatives from different countries all over the World. In 2015, Angela was one of the 60 young people from commonwealth countries awarded by Her Majesty the Queen of England for outstanding voluntary work in her society. Angela is leading the WoteSawa team in empowering Domestic Workers (for the majority girls) to be aware of their rights and responsibilities and to be aware of the laws which protect them. She is a true role model and influential for young girls in changing their thinking towards fulfilling their dreams.

ELISHA DAVID
Monitoring and Evaluation Officer

Demitila Faustine holds a Bachelor of Art in Sociology from Saint Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT) where she completed her undergraduate studies in 2017. She joined WoteSawa in September 2017 as a social worker volunteer and gained more practical skills and experience.

MKWAYA MANYAMA
Financial Officer

Mkwaya Manyama is a graduate of St. Augustine University of Tanzania in the year 2011 with Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA). She joined WoteSawa in March 2016 for the position of Accountant and Administrator. Her career vision is to contribute strong leadership interpersonal communication and strong Management that is Accountable to produce value for money in the project implementation.
Her main duties at the organisation are: preparing long–term strategic and annual operational budgets, preparation of regular “budget call down” requests to donors and monitoring of their status, overall organisational expenditure and internal control (Preparation of Organisational Financial statements and reports), coordinating internal and external audits, verifying all the payments requests, retirements, as per approved budget and in line with policies and accounting compliances, conducting staff performance appraisal, responsible for all matters relating to administrative and call regular and emergency senior management team meetings and participate in donor negotiation up on qualified in invitation of proposal submission.

JACKLINE MWESIGWA
Accountant & Administrator

Serves as the Accountant and Administrator at WoteSawa Domestic Workers Organization. With a solid educational foundation, holding a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting, Jackline brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the role.
Beyond financial management, Jackline plays a pivotal role in administrative tasks, ensuring the smooth operation of day-to-day activities within the organisation. Their commitment to excellence and organisational prowess ensures that Wotesawa continues to thrive and fulfill its mission to protect and empower domestic workers.
Jackline's passion for social justice and dedication to the cause of domestic workers' rights drive their work, making a positive impact on the lives of those the organisation serves.

JAQUELINE NGALO
Safehouse Coordinator

Jaqueline Ngalo is the Shelter Manager at WoteSawa’s Kasulu branch in the Kigoma region and serves as the Safehouses Coordinator for WoteSawa’s safehouses. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL. B) from Saint Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT), graduating in 2014. Jaqueline joined WoteSawa in February 2015 as an assistant legal officer, a role that allowed her to develop her career while championing the rights of domestic workers and other marginalised groups.
Later in 2015, Jaqueline advanced to the position of legal officer and project officer, where she oversaw shelter operations in collaboration with a social worker. In 2017, she was entrusted with establishing WoteSawa's Kasulu branch and opening a safe house dedicated to supporting women and children affected by human trafficking and violence against women and children (VAWC). Her expertise in safe house management in Kasulu has since positioned her as a pivotal figure in overseeing and coordinating WoteSawa’s network of safehouses.

DEMITILA FAUSTINE

Head of Program

He graduated from the University of Dodoma in 2013 with a Bachelor's Degree in International Relations with a concentration in Project Management. He joined WoteSawa in 2016 as the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer and a member of the Senior Management Team. His primary responsibilities are supervising, managing, and executing projects, writing and reviewing reports, as well as resource mobilisation and fundraising.
Elisha is passionate to see every child and domestic worker’s life improved, through fostering children’s participation, children’s inclusion, social-economic empowerment of domestic workers, and engagement of duty bearers in the protection and promotion of child rights issues which is the core vision of WoteSawa.
In March, 2019 she was employed as a social worker and from 2020, she became a project officer and coordinated some projects to date. In 2021, she was promoted to a new position of Empowerment & Shelter Manager; the post which she serves until to date. Her main duties at the organisation are: managing the shelter to ensure survivors and victims are provided all necessary services, supervising/leading social department activities and coordinating empowerment programs for staff and beneficiaries.

JENIPHER NELSON KATO
Safeguarding Officer

Jenipher Nelson Kato serves as the Coordinator of Domestic Workers’ Advisory Committees (Self-Help Groups), an organisation she helped found. With firsthand experience as a domestic worker for five years, Jenipher has dedicated herself to championing the rights and welfare of domestic workers. Her role within the organisation has allowed her to build a strong foundation in advocacy, leadership, and professional skills, including completing training in computer literacy and English.
A passionate human rights activist, Jenipher firmly believes that anything is achievable through hard work. Leveraging her experience and commitment, she also manages a shelter in Ngara, providing a safe haven and essential support for those in need.

JACKLINE MARTIN
Public Relations Officer

She is a dedicated communications professional with a Bachelor's degree in Mass Communications and Journalism from St. Augustine University of Tanzania, class of 2023. She began her career with a volunteer role at WoteSawa in 2023 as a Communications Officer, where she demonstrated a strong commitment to the organisation’s mission. Her effective communication skills, passion, and dedication led to her official employment as a Public Relations Officer. Jackline is driven by a commitment to promote and enhance the organisation's visibility and impact through strategic communication.