Women and Youth Development Solution

WAYDS is a youth-founded and youth-led organization empowering women, young people, and children in Tanzania to thrive. Our journey began with a focus on poverty, education, health, and gender equity — and through this work, we discovered a common thread: mental health is the foundation for lasting change.

WAYDS operates in Tanzania, a country where mental health has historically received limited attention despite its profound impact on health, education, and economic development. Tanzania has a severe shortage of professionals only 38 psychiatrists and 17 psychologists serve over 65 million people, equating to just 1.3 mental health workers per 100,000 population, far below the global median of 9. This gap leaves millions without timely and/or quality care.

Similarly, in rural and low-Human Development Index (HDI) regions in Tanzania, low awareness of mental health-challenges’ symptoms, widespread stigma, and reliance on harmful traditional beliefs prevent people particular young people from seeking help. A survey at Mirembe National Mental Health Hospital showed that over 95% of caregivers held stigmatizing attitudes, ranging from discrimination and exclusion to neglect by service providers. Everyday language reinforces this stigma, with derogatory terms like kichaa and or/ mwenda-wazimu (crazy/mad) used routinely. As a result, conditions such as depression, anxiety, and substance misuse go undetected and untreated, causing preventable suffering and deepening cycles of suicide incidents, poverty, and marginalization not only for young people but the community at general