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Fungai Lupande Mashonaland Central Bureau  

An upper-income economy by 2030 is anchored on peace and no community can develop when it is embattled with high sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) cases, Shamva Development Coordinator Mr White Nkoma said.

Speaking at the handover of bicycles to community volunteers who are championing an end to SGBV, Mr Nkoma said high gold mining activities in Shamva are fueling gender-based violence cases. About 24 community volunteers including traditional leaders are getting support from a consortium of four developmental non-Governmental organisations (FAWEZI, ActionAid, Family AIDS  Caring Trust and Leonard Cheshire).

FAWEZI board chair Mrs Irene Mkondo said they started their programming in 2019 with adolescent dialogues with girls in four schools in Shamva (Madziwa Mine Primary and Secondary, Wadzanai Primary and Secondary and Ming Chang Primary School).

“Our main objective was to keep girls in school and we also address issues that hindered them from attending school which include menstrual hygiene, access to water and proper infrastructure for learners with disabilities,” she said.

“We acquired bicycles for community volunteers because they drive the agenda on reducing sexual and gender-based violence.

“They also identify the needs of learners with disabilities and this has become effective in making the community understand what we are doing. This guarantees the sustainability of the project after donors pull out.”

Action Aid project manager Mrs Betty Sithole Zanza said they have joined hands with the other three organisations with whom they share a common vision.

“Women and youth were left out in many developmental projects and our priority is to put women and girls first in the two thematic areas we are working on which are: systems change for economic and systems change for climate justice,” she said.

One of the beneficiaries Precious Mushayamombe (36) said she used to walk for more than six kilometres between villages in ward 22, Shamva North to investigate cases of sexual and gender-based violence and stir dialogue among villagers around the subject.

The community volunteers are in wards 16, 22 and 28 which are some of the hotspots in cases of violence against women. The consortium also drilled a borehole in ward 16 in Mudzinge village to ease water challenges at Madziwa Teachers college, Madziwa secondary school and the community following the closure of Madziwa Mine in 2001.