Salha Aziz: Uplifting Tanzania’s young women through education, skills, and social impact

In the bustling heart of Dar es Salaam, amidst the ever growing conversations around youth empowerment and gender equity, one name continues to rise as a beacon of hope: Salha Aziz.

A dynamic advocate, educator, and changemaker, Salha has dedicated her life to ensuring that adolescent girls and young women are not just seen, but heard, valued, and empowered.

As the Founder and Executive Director of the Binti Salha Foundation, Salha champions the rights of young women to quality education, economic freedom, and good health.

A passionate SDGs advocate, she is driven by a singular belief: “When a young girl is empowered, a community is also empowered.” Her work is a testament to this philosophy, building bridges of opportunity where only walls of limitation once stood.

“Our current project is the HER POTENTIAL Project that empowers out of school young women and young mothers in Kitonga - Msongola (Dar es Salaam) by providing them with Batik making, liquid soap making, financial literacy, branding and marketing skills for them to earn money that can help them and their families,” says Salha, with the kind of conviction that makes you believe anything is possible.

A graduate with a Bachelor of Arts with Education (BAED), Salha merges academic insight with grassroots action. Her activism is not recent; it dates back to 2013, when she began her journey in youth advocacy, with a focus on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR).

She’s worked with various platforms, including Youth of United Nations Association, Tanzania Youth Vision Association, Action Aid Global Platform Tanzania, and Youth Action Movement (YAM) under UMATI Tanzania.

But it’s not just her passion—it’s her recognition. In 2023, she was selected as a Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Youth Leader. Since 2017, she has served as the Ambassador for Girls’ Rights to Education by the African Union International Centre for Girls and Women’s Education (AU/CIEFFA), representing Tanzania and the broader East African region.

The Commonwealth Youth Council also honoured her in 2019 as the Tanzanian Education Youth Champion during International Youth Day.

A moment that encapsulated the growing recognition of her impact was when former President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete attended one of her foundation’s events, standing as a symbol of national acknowledgment for her tireless efforts in championing girls' education and empowerment.

Salha’s leadership has been honed through various roles, including General Secretary for the Ministry of Sports and Games at Dar es Salaam University College of Education and Executive Committee Member for Youth of United Nations Association. But perhaps her most moving leadership moment came online.

With a simple tweet and a powerful vision, she galvanised a team of young women led organisations to launch #MvalisheAkasome, a viral campaign that raised Sh 1.8 million, providing uniforms for 70 primary school girls across Pwani, Dodoma, and Iringa.

Now with a social media following of more than 16,500 engaged Twitter followers, Salha uses her digital voice to advocate for real-world change. She is not just building content—she’s building futures.

In a country brimming with potential and young talent, Salha Aziz stands as a powerful reminder of what it means to lead with purpose, heart, and unwavering dedication to change. She’s not just empowering girls—she is reshaping the future of Tanzania.