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Peter Tanyanyiwa Youth Interactive Correspondent

Youthful girl child rights activist Tinevimbo Matambanadzo who has been an unsung hero in the fight for the girl child rights and charity work in different schools in Zimbabwe was recently rewarded as she received two accolades in recognition of her outstanding work.

She recently won the Phoenix Publishing Author of the year award which was held at the end of November 2022. She also bagged the Ignite Youth Award first runner up award in the Girl Empowerment Category. 

These wins validate the work she does and that it matters.  She’s unsung hero and to get recognised has made her feel “appreciated” and she wants to continue to do more for women and girls in Zimbabwe.

One of the most outstanding things about Matambanadzo is her dedication to helping others despite suffering herself from stage 4 endometriosis. She said it all began in her high school years as she began to struggle with her health and, she later found out the condition, she was diagnosed with endometriosis. Many women do not get a diagnosis until it’s too late, but she has become a deterrent of that by using her own story to affect change and change the narrative around periods and the stigma around it. She’s since then managed to help close to 150 women in the group to gain confidence and fight despite living with endo. She also has a small project where she partnered with a company, to provide 10 vulnerable women with cash incentives so that they can buy pads and medication to manage the condition. 

She has obtained other achievements such as being the author of two books, “Turning Pain into Power” and “Unmasking Endometriosis” a guide for women living with this disease. Through her works she inspires many women and young girls to be the best versions of themselves and to make their health a priority. 

Tinevimbo Matambanadzo is a community development practitioner and gender advocate. She is the founder of, “As I Am Foundation,” “Zimbabwe Endometriosis Support Network,” “Bloom coaching consultancy” and most recently, “Woman Rise.”

She holds other titles like women’s health activist and life coach. She also holds a Cum Laude degree in Community and Health Psychology. She is part of networks like the Founding 100, the Obama Foundation African leaders and the Unleash International program. She is the ambassador of a health based start-up in the USA called Healp.co in which she raises issues around Women’s health and women’s reproductive grievances. She is also part of the Founding 100 and Top 20 Most Influential Young Zimbabweans. She is an award winning leader and community champion.

One of the most significant things she has done is to give women a voice and the power to decide about their health and wellness. One in 10 women suffer from a chronic reproductive health condition called endometriosis. It affects many women including Zimbabwean women. Many women suffer in silence and many of them did not have knowledge about the disease, its impact and knowledge before meeting her and being supported by her work. The support group she started has helped her save women’s lives, some of who wanted to commit suicide because of lack of support and feeling alone. 

Most recently she has been supporting a teen mother safe house and is providing them with skills training, mental health support, workshops and empowering them with tools that will help them be reintegrated back into society, and to know they are “more than just teen mothers”. 

She also started the Take the Child to School program in areas like Hopely, Zvimba district and Epworth. She raises school fees money for vulnerable girls who cannot afford to go school, provides them with reproductive health resources and holds wellness workshops in these communities. She speaks to girls about their periods and is trying hard to debunk myths and dangerous taboos and traditional norms that work against the wellness of women. She is doing this to help them stay in school, prevent being child brides, and for them to have the power to decide. She is also doing this so that they can live full and healthy lives. She is deeply passionate about women’s health and wellness. 

In an interview Tinevimbo Matambanadzo said the approach to girl child empowerment needs to change, as young girls’ rights are human rights. She also said it is very important to include the boy child in the fight for the girl child’s rights.

“We are at a crossroads with the girl child empowerment and the fight for gender equality. I think conversation needs to change. Women’s rights are human rights and that means we are all responsible for ensuring that women and girls have everything they need to thrive,” she said

“I also think our approach needs to change. This year I have incorporated boys and men in our programs because the system of patriarchy needs to be unlearned and boys need to relearn the place of a woman in society. I believe in a holistic approach to solving women’s rights issues. Women’s wellness should include their physical wellness that is reproductive wellness, financial wellness and emotional wellness,” she said.

Tinevimbo also recently hosted the first, “Woman Rise Luncheon” on the 12th of November 2022. At the event women came together to discuss the challenges they face and how they can rise above them. Her true wish in life is to see all women grow, be seen and heard and rise. She aims to boost the confidence of women and to encourage them to be all they want to be despite their circumstances. The event was classy, informative and empowering to all women who attended. 

For Zimbabwe this means that there are responsible citizens and leaders who believe that they are the change they want to see. It is such unsung heroes who effect change. Tinevimbo is the epitome of that and an example to young women who want to lead. All in all, over many years she has impacted and transformed the lives of thousands of girls and women in the country.