Why this work matters
Source: UNICEF, October 2024
More than 79 million
UNICEF estimates that more than 79 million girls and women in sub-Saharan Africa experienced rape or sexual assault before age 18.
Source: Tanzania DHS-MIS 2022
12% in Tanzania
In the 2022 Tanzania survey, 12% of women ages 15–49 reported ever experiencing sexual violence; 7% reported experiencing it in the preceding 12 months.
Source: World Bank, March 2026
847 Million
people lived in extreme poverty in 2024, below the World Bank’s $3-per-day international poverty line.
Source: World Bank, Poverty Update
67%
of people living in extreme poverty were in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2024, although the region represented 16% of the global population.
Source: World Bank and UNICEF, 2025
412 Million
children—19.2% of the world’s children—lived below $3 per day in 2024.
Source: World Bank, 2025
295 Million
women in Sub-Saharan Africa lived in extreme poverty in 2024—74% of all women experiencing extreme poverty worldwide.
These measures differ: the UNICEF estimate concerns childhood rape or sexual assault across generations; the Tanzania figures measure broader sexual violence. They are not annual rape counts.
The true scale is likely greater
UNICEF cautions that available figures likely underestimate the number of women and children affected. Sexual violence is often hidden and underreported; stigma, fear of disclosure, and gaps in data collection make the full scale difficult to measure. The size of the undercount is not reliably known.
UNICEF/SADC methodology and underreporting warning, 2023
Extreme poverty is defined by the World Bank as living on less than $3.00 per person per day in 2021 purchasing-power-parity terms.
Opportunity begins with people.
People at the heart of the mission
Our mission is to reduce suffering in impoverished regions of Africa by supporting community-led development.
Upcoming Work
Planned Tanzania visit • April 3–11, 2027. Project scope and updates will be shared as plans are confirmed.
Transparency as we grow
As projects develop, we will share confirmed plans, budgets, progress updates, and outcomes here.
Why this work matters
More than 79 million
UNICEF estimates that more than 79 million girls and women in sub-Saharan Africa experienced rape or sexual assault before age 18.
12% in Tanzania
In the 2022 Tanzania survey, 12% of women ages 15–49 reported ever experiencing sexual violence; 7% reported experiencing it in the preceding 12 months.
847 Million
people lived in extreme poverty in 2024, below the World Bank’s $3-per-day international poverty line.
Source: World Bank, March 2026 Global Poverty Update.
67%
of people living in extreme poverty were in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2024, although the region represented 16% of the global population.
Source: World Bank, Poverty, Prosperity, and Planet.
412 Million
children—19.2% of the world’s children—lived below $3 per day in 2024.
Source: World Bank and UNICEF, Children in Monetary Poor Households, 2025.
295 Million
women in Sub-Saharan Africa lived in extreme poverty in 2024—74% of all women experiencing extreme poverty worldwide.
Source: World Bank, Global Poverty Trends for Women, 2025.
These measures differ: the UNICEF estimate concerns childhood rape or sexual assault across generations; the Tanzania figures measure broader sexual violence. They are not annual rape counts. Extreme poverty is defined by the World Bank as living on less than $3.00 per person per day in 2021 purchasing-power-parity terms.
The true scale is likely greater
UNICEF cautions that available figures likely underestimate the number of women and children affected. Sexual violence is often hidden and underreported; stigma, fear of disclosure, and gaps in data collection make the full scale difficult to measure. The size of the undercount is not reliably known.