Arafa currently works as a dressmaker but hopes to become a dairy farmer. She is 27 years old and lives in Pondeani, a town on the western part of the island of Pemba, just off the coast of mainland Tanzania. She is originally from the nearby village of Ziwani. Arafa is married and she and her husband have three children between the ages of 1 1/2 and 7 years old. Through her current work, she earns about US$ 30 (TZS 50,000) per year. Her husband earns about US$ 65 (100,000 TZS) per year doing manual labor.

As part of the Pondeani group, Arafa is looking forward to helping to open the local branch of Pemba Fresh, the island's first dairy farm, where she and the group will care for the cattle and produce fresh milk, eventually expanding to cheese, yogurt, butter, ghee, and other products. Through dairy farming, Arafa has the potential to vastly increase her income and improve her daily life.