Salima currently works as a teacher in Pondeani, a town on the western part of the island of Pemba, just off the coast of mainland Tanzania. She hopes to become a dairy farmer, for additional income and because she will have to retire in two years once she reaches the mandatory retirement age of 60. She is currently 58 years old and married with 7 children and 25 grandchildren. As a teacher, she earns roughly US$ 950 (1,500,000 TZS) per year. Her husband farms rice and cassava for use at home.

As part of the Pondeani group, Salima 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, Salima has the potential to vastly increase her income and improve her daily life.