Rumbidzai Jengwa – Alumnus

I was a Teach For Zimbabwe fellow at Rukao Primary School in Mutoko District. I noticed how the girl child has a lot of areas she needs help. Most of the girl child in my community are going through psychological issues and they have no one available to just listen. The girl child is an emotional being too. In my community, the girl child is considered to be humble and sincere if she is quiet and does whatever she is told. She cannot speak out or stand for herself. This opens more doors for child abuse and gender inequity.

To help with this challenge, I formed a club for Girl Child Rights called EMPOWERED GIRLS TRUST where we teach and encourage the girl child to be the best version of herself she can ever be without being influenced by what the community say about them. We have printed T-shirts with different messages that raise the awareness of girl child safe-guarding to the community.

In the club tears are shed and sensitive issues are discussed but most importantly the club give advice and aid to each girl child. I managed to set up the health side of the club. This come to be as we have noticed that most of the girls have low self-esteem due to lack of hygiene products at their disposal. A girl should not lack these basic items such as bathing soap, toothpaste, toothbrush and sanitary pads, which they intend to give each girl child. The club also teaches about culture and how to express themselves (moral education)

Empowered Girls Trust has done a lot in helping the child in the community and the main aim is to have huge impact not just at Rukau Primary School and Mutoko but in Zimbabwe as a whole. We have created and designed a first sample for re-washable and reusable pads, and the plan is to make more pads and donate to less privileged students. The club has also donated toiletries to a sick and less privileged girl child in the local community and the girls that form the club have been volunteering to clean houses of elderly in a bid to reduce the burden of the elderly people.