Sacred Encounters: A Testament to Women’s Leadership in Tanzania

By Julia Ayala Harris, President of the House of Deputies, The Episcopal Church

In the heart of Tanzania, I encountered a profound testament to women‘s leadership that touched my soul.

As President of the House of Deputies, I have witnessed many powerful moments, but few have moved me as deeply as meeting my sister president, Santina Akley–a woman who leads the New Jipemoyo savings and loans group of twenty women in her village with grace, wisdom and unshakeable conviction.

“We are in this together, and we share this journey together,” I told her.

An Episcopal Relief & Development Savings with Education (SwE) group, which combines savings, investing and financial literacy, becomes more than a financial institution–it is a sacred space of transformation. Santina’s leadership reflects the divine spark that ignites when women become empowered to rise, to lead and to transform their communities.

Santina is a farmer by trade. Working together with the Anglican Church of Tanzania, Diocese of Central Tanganyika (DCT), Episcopal Relief & Development has introduced Santina to agricultural techniques to strengthen her farming outcomes, and SwE, where she has been able to grow through the program and help others.

Since 2019, in addition to being her group president, Santina has been a SwE facilitator. She helps people in her region to establish their own groups, and encourages them to start businesses and diversify their income. Santina has also encouraged women to work towards leadership positions just like she has. In addition to all of her roles within the SwE system, she is also the chairperson of Kawawa Subvillage, where she and her family live.

Like the early Christian communities who held all things in common, Santina and the other women in her group pool their resources, share their dreams and lift each other toward prosperity. Each contribution becomes part of a greater tapestry of mutual support, weaving together financial empowerment with spiritual growth. 

Santina has been able to sell produce and items like tomatoes and baobab, mikeka (woven mats), refurbished clothing and cooking oil. She has been able to pay her children’s school fees, cover everyday household expenses and build a house for her family. The women in her group have had success with beekeeping and tailoring businesses as well.

What moves me most deeply is how these savings groups embody the Gospel’s message of liberation. When women gain financial independence, they reclaim their God-given dignity. I witnessed this transformation in the proud smiles of entrepreneurs, in the determined voices of mothers ensuring their children’s education, and in the confident stance of leaders emerging to guide their communities toward positive change.

As we commemorate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, I see in these savings groups a living testament to hope with each woman who gains confidence and each leader who emerges. Santina, and countless women in leadership like her, remind us that when we invest in women’s leadership, we invest in God’s vision for our global community.

Julia Ayala Harris is the President of the House of Deputies for The Episcopal Church.