The FAHAMU project emerged from our team’s experiences in the courts and within the community. We observed that many community members are unaware of their legal rights, leading to unreported and unrecognized violence. Even those who seek justice often face challenges due to this lack
of knowledge.
Situation 1
A woman sought a court declaration for the presumption of marriage. Her request was denied because the man in question was already married under Christian law. If she had known the law, she would have asked him to divorce his first wife before entering into a relationship with him. This illustrates ignorance of the law.
Situation 2
Our executive director encountered a woman crying under a tree with her three young children outside the land and housing tribunal. The woman was about to lose her house because her husband had mortgaged their matrimonial home and failed to repay the loan, leading the bank to seek a court order for its sale. The woman was unaware of her rights and couldn’t afford a lawyer. Our executive director asked if she had signed a spousal consent form before the mortgage was taken out, and the answer was no. She was advised to use this lack of consent to challenge the sale and was directed to organizations offering free legal services.
Situation 3
After being granted a divorce, a woman requested an equal distribution of property. However, she could not prove her contribution to her husband’s property, resulting in the court awarding her only 10%. Had she been aware of the recent amendment requiring proof of contribution, she might have received a larger share. This highlights a lack of knowledge about changes in the law.
These situations underscored the necessity of the FAHAMU Sharia project. Initially, we focused on translating legal phrases into Kiswahili online. However, we have now shifted the project offline to better reach citizens who are most affected by the legal language barrier and lack of legal knowledge.
Activities
- Community Mobilization: Assessing the extent of the problem through baseline surveys.
- Open Community Dialogues: Sharing legal knowledge with the aim of educating the community.
- Street Q&A Sessions: Providing immediate legal information.
- Community Legal Clubs: Creating forums for ongoing legal education.
- Media Campaigns: Raising awareness through various media channels
