Tomorrow, Menopause Safari Tanzania Program will launch a swahili book titled "Safari ya Ukomo wa Hedhi" (The Journey of Menopause), authored by Aloisia Shemdoe Mhingo, a public health researcher and former Ifakara Health Institute employee, with several Ifakara staff set to show their support at the event.

This powerful book brings to light an often overlooked chapter in women's lives—menopause. Drawing from her personal journey and professional expertise, Aloisia wrote the book to foster understanding and break the silence around the physical and emotional changes women experience during this transition.

“Menopause arrives quietly, but it leaves a profound impact on the body, emotions, and relationships,” Aloisia told Martha Saranga of the BBC in a recent interview in Dar es Salaam. After experiencing memory lapses and emotional changes herself, she began to research the topic—only to realize how rarely it is openly discussed in society. “I told myself, I can’t write about exercise and not practice it. I had to start living what I was teaching.”

Her aim is to educate both women and men. In one instance, she recalled a Christian gathering in Tanzania where men privately shared how confused they were by their wives’ emotional changes—only to later realize they lacked basic knowledge about menopause. “Many men told me they didn’t know these were normal changes, not new behavior or disrespect,” she explained.

With Safari ya Ukomo wa Hedhi, Aloisia hopes to encourage open dialogue and better support systems for women going through this natural phase. “Menopause is not the end of life—it’s a beginning of a new chapter, full of challenges and opportunities,” she said.

To learn more about her story read the full BBC interview here: Walifikiria kuachana na ndoa zao kwa sababu ya kupoteza hamu ya tendo la ndoa'

Ifakara is honored to be part of this important book launch and the wider conversation it represents—shining light on a deeply personal yet commonly silent struggle faced by women everywhere.