TANTA: An Idaho Sisterhood for Refugee and Immigrant Women
Social Justice Fund visiting TANTA, Inc. in Boise, Idaho, September 2025. Founder Rama Deen is second from right. (Photo by Sharon Ho Chang)
Women are pillars of refugee communities who support families, strengthen networks, and lead change. They make up roughly half of resettled populations nationwide, yet often face disproportionate challenges, from economic barriers and mental health needs to increased risk of gender-based violence.
In Idaho, which has one of the highest concentrations of refugees in the country, a Boise-based nonprofit, TANTA, Inc. is working to support resettled and immigrant women’s well-being, safety, and self-sufficiency through a culturally responsive approach rooted in collective thriving.
For Women, By Women
TANTA was founded by Rama Deen, an immigrant from The Gambia with over 25 years of experience in advocacy and humanitarian efforts. She is also a psychotherapist who specializes in supporting individuals and families healing from trauma.
Growing up in West Africa, Rama was surrounded by strong women who supported each other. “Even if my mom was not around, there were at least 10 other pairs of eyes looking at me and making sure that I was okay,” she said. “I never felt alone in anything.”
But in Boise, Rama noticed many immigrants and refugees, especially those from trauma and displacement, felt alone and unprotected despite having access to resources. She also saw women weren’t getting support for their community work or being recognized as leaders.
So, in 2022, Rama founded TANTA to create and support an intergenerational network of women and girls in resettled and immigrant communities who define and champion their own solutions to empowerment.
Sadia Abdulkadir at SJF’s Rise Boise event, September 2025. (Photo by Sharon Ho Chang)
TANTA Leaders
Sadia Abdulkadir is a TANTA leader and social work student. Born in Kenya, she was resettled with her refugee family in Idaho as a toddler and grew up in Boise. “Home can change—it definitely has changed for me—and it’s the places and the communities that make home what we want to call it.”
Asha Muhingi, part of TANTA’s Advancing Cultural Empowerment committee, is a student studying political science. Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Asha lived most of her childhood in a refugee camp in Zambia until resettling in Boise. “Ever since then, I’ve considered Idaho to be home; this is where I’ve built all my values and learned how to organize.”
Leylo Hamud is a TANTA and Somali community leader. When she was a child, her family fled the Somali Civil War to a refugee camp in Kenya, where Leylo lived for almost 17 years. Although resettling in the U.S. was challenging, she said, “I’m so glad to call Boise home because I fit in here and I love to be around these women.”
Thriving as a Collective
Growing up in a refugee camp was extremely difficult, Leylo said. “There was a lack of water, necessities, and healthcare. I saw women going through a lot, especially expectant mothers. Children were starving.”
But she also witnessed women supporting each other, even when they had nothing.
Tanta means “auntie” in Wolof and is used as a term of endearment for a woman deserving respect. “My grandmother was the quintessential auntie,” said Rama. “If you came into the neighborhood and said, ‘I’m looking for Tanta,’ they would literally point you to her.”
That spirit of care, healthy interdependence, and resilience is a through line among the immigrant and refugee women who join and lead TANTA.
“Women continue to do a lot of public service and be the ones that fight for their communities,” said Asha.
“Women are everywhere,” said Sadia. “They’re our mothers, they’re our leaders, caretakers, mentors, and even change makers at the same time.”
Leylo’s Somali grandmother was also a community tanta. “She used to feed strangers and walk miles from our home to check on other women,” Leylo said. “I saw my grandma not giving up and managing to help other women survive.”
Front desk and lobby of TANTA’s office in Boise, Idaho. (Photo by Sharon Ho Chang)
Home and Belonging
TANTA Board president Reshmi Mukherjee said centering women and girls is essential. “When we don’t listen to women and girls, we’re not listening to half of the community’s voices,” said Reshmi, an associate professor at Boise State University. “The well-being of women and girls means the well-being of a community in its entirety.”
TANTA offers programming such as leadership development and wellness gatherings, while also working with Boise providers to make services more accessible to immigrant and refugee women and girls.
For Leylo, TANTA represents a sense of belonging after resettling in Idaho. “Home is more than a place to live. It’s a place where I feel safe, where women are helping each other, and where I won’t be alone with any situation I’m going through,” said Leylo.
“What drew me to the TANTA family was the amazing connection,” said Asha. “The pain and suffering, the joys and woes—those are things that can connect us all.”
The women leaders describe TANTA as a beacon of hope; a place for shared purpose and for building unity. They all hope the organization will keep expanding its much-needed reach and impact.
“There’s just so much that makes TANTA special,” said Sadia. “It feels less like an organization and more like a community of women walking alongside each other with shared decision-making.”
Rama couldn’t agree more. After just four years, she said her greatest pride, and what she appreciates most about the TANTA sisterhood, is its sense of collective ownership.
“People ask me, ‘How did you come up with that?’ And I say, I didn’t,” said Rama. “Everybody sat together and decided that this is what they wanted to do. My vision for the future, and what I hope for TANTA, is that we continue to grow that.”
Learn more about TANTA, Inc. at tantainc.org
Written by Sharon Ho Chang, Strategic Communications Manager
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