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My heart aches at the thought of any kid who is unable to attend school as a result of poverty. I believe that at least if they write can their own names, there is a glimmer of hope in their life. All this compassion emanates from my childhood, as I grew up as an orphan, with little confidence in my capabilities.  I had to plead and obey whatever was required of me by my guardians. After all, I felt they were doing me a favour. I felt it was my responsibility to repay them for my upbringing to ensure that other vulnerable children got the opportunity to education through my good deeds.

The SAfAIDS Leadership Programme came after the realization that there is a leadership gap amongst adolescent girls and young women, especially in areas of Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH), Gender and HIV. The academy is therefore building young people who are empowered, educated, healthy, resilient  and  socially  responsible. 

I am a product of one of the guerrilla fighters who were moving around the country during the time of ceasefire (liberation struggle), raping vulnerable women without giving a hoot. My mother as one of the victims was raped in 1979 and gave birth to me in 1980. She cursed herself so much that she was haunted psychologically. Two years after my birth, she passed on.

I come from a disjointed family where my brothers chose their own path of life which l never agreed on. They decided to drop out of school and resort to drugs and other informal businesses. My parents appear to have given up on them already. That is when l realised the importance of parents’ commitment to their children and good linkages with their children’s teachers.

          The community gathered at Ndaiziva Community Development Trust

SAfAIDS partner, Ndaiziva Community Development Trust, organised an intergenerational dialogue in Norton, facilitated by SAfAIDS, and attended by stakeholders including the police victim friendly unit, the hospital, local schools, village health workers, behaviour change facilitators, the National AIDS council, community leaders, Norton councillors, church leaders and parents.

The dialogue aimed to address the negative views and practices towards women and girls that fuel gender-based violence and enhance the capacity of men, women and young people to champion positive gender patterns and practices and reduce HIV and GBV.

TB, is the world’s top infectious disease killer, claiming 5 000 lives each day. The heaviest burden is carried by communities already facing socio-economic challenges such as migrants, refugees, prisoners, ethnic minorities, miners and others working and living in risk-prone settings, and marginalized women, children and older people (WHO: 2017).

                         

SAfAIDS has joined hands with Irish Aid in bringing hope to the many disadvantaged children in Bubi District, Matabeleland North by coming up with a programme that aims at identifying and assisting children from poor backgrounds with school fees, resulting in a reduced number of school dropouts.

Stabile Tsumisa: The journey to her life’s transformation

Stabile Tsumisa was in Grade 5 in 2015 when her father John Tsumisa was arrested for stock theft. John’s incarceration affected his daughter so much that she ended up dropping out of school owing to lack of school fees and the stigma associated with being a criminal’s child.

Tracy and Dosenmatter Muchindu are a happily married couple who are committed to ending gender-based violence (GBV), child marriages, reducing HIV infection and other negative and harmful practises that perpetuate abuse of women and girls in Harunakazi community, Chegutu district.

After my enrolment into the SAfAIDS Young People Leadership Academy (YPLA) training in 2013, l realised there are a lot of women out there who are determined and inspiring. SAfAIDS Executive Director Mrs Lois Chingandu was one of my role models as she believes in young women empowerment and success.