Reducing Domestic Servitude through Capacity Building in Tanzania 

Tanzania’s geography and rural-to-urban migration patterns make it a gateway for domestic servitude abroad. With U.S. State Department funding, Research Professor Meredith Dank, Sheldon Zhang (UMass-Lowell), and a team from Community Health and Social Welfare Africa (COMHESWA) are working to strengthen prevention and protection efforts for women seeking employment overseas. The Wezesha Project: Reducing Domestic Servitude through Capacity Building, builds awareness through pre-departure trainings, develops prevention and protection resources, offers vocational training and start up kits for women who choose to pursue work within Tanzania, and equips community-based organizations with the knowledge and tools needed to support victims of domestic servitude.