By Cephas Shava

The Development Agenda for Girls and Women in Africa Network (DAWA) has achieved tangible success in its fight against gender inequality and gender-based violence (GBV) in marginalized communities of rural Mwenezi district’s ward 18.
DAWA, a community-based network founded and led by girls and young women, held a dialogue and project closure meeting at Rutenga Sub-catchment area offices recently, where stakeholders and beneficiaries shared success stories.
DAWA Mwenezi District’s Project Officer, Winnet Chakandinakira, said since the project’s inception in 2024, the organization had been connecting and training adolescent girls and young women, addressing sexual and reproductive health injustices and challenging gender inequality.
The organization started with 10 girls and increased the number to 20, empowering them through projects like gardening.
“Dawa started working in the District’s ward 18 sometime last year. We had been connecting and training adolescent girls and women. We address sexual and reproductive health injustices and challenge gender inequality.
“At inception we started by training ten girls and we increased the number to 20 focusing on empowering them through giving them projects like gardening. We empower them to go and further spread the message and educate their peers in their villages,” said Chakandinakira.
Ward 18 Councilor, Tawanda Muza, praised DAWA’s programs, saying they had brought significant changes to the community, including a reduction in GBV cases. However, he expressed concern that the organization was concluding its programs when the community still needed support, particularly in poultry and gardening projects.
“We have been working very well with Dawa and since the inception, it has rolled out several programmes for our girls and women with a lot of change being noticed in the community. The programmes were of great value as evidenced by remarkable changes like the reduction in cases of gender based violence.
“It’s unfortunate that the organization is seemingly concluding its programmes when we still need their support especially in poultry and gardening projects. The two projects, if they get support will go a long way in sustaining our young girls,” said Muza.
One DAWA programme beneficiary, 30-year-old Primrose Shoko from Rutoro village, said she had made a difference in her community after receiving training from DAWA. She imparted the knowledge to other girls and women in her village, who are now using it to transform their lives.
“I was among the first group of women who were trained by Dawa and after the training ,with the assistance of the village head I managed to gather several girls, women and I imparted the knowledge I had acquired on sexual and reproductive health injustices and issues of gender inequality.
“They are now using the knowledge to transform their lives and they are all happy that they were enlightened,” said Shoko.
Zion Christian Church Kumuka Kwevakafa (ZCCK) Bishop Lyphet Matenda-Mugaviri commended DAWA for its impactful GBV educative programme. The church has taken it upon itself to cascade the gospel within its congregation, giving DAWA trainees slots during church services to educate congregants on GBV. The bishop expressed joy over the positive testimonies of families whose lives have been changed due to these sessions.
“We give thumbs-up to Dawa for spearheading one of the most impactful gender-based violence educative programme in our community. As ZCCK we have taken it upon ourselves to cascade the gospel within our church and we regularly give Dawa trainees slots during our church services to educate congregants on GBV.
“I am happy that we have recorded remarkable positive testimonies of families whose lives have been changed owing to such sessions,” said the Bishop

By Staff Reporter

Masvingo’s leading chef, Rejoice Gundura, proudly represented Zimbabwe at the 2025 Colours of the World Fair held recently in Turkey, where she showcased her culinary talent at an international stage.
Gundura qualified for the prestigious expo after winning a provincial cooking competition in 2024 and later finishing as second runner-up at national level, earning her a place among the country’s top three chefs.
Speaking on the sidelines of the expo, Gundura expressed pride in representing Zimbabwe, highlighting the positive reception of the country’s cuisine by other cultures.
“I’m proud to be a Zimbabwean gastronomy chef. Our food is healthy and well-received. It was an honour to demonstrate how we prepare and serve our traditional dishes in real time
“I run a restaurant that serves gastronomy dishes, this is both my passion and my profession,” she said.
She also praised the Masvingo City Council for supporting First Lady Dr. Auxillia Mnangagwa’s culinary programmes and encouraged fellow chefs to remain committed to promoting local gastronomy.
“I want to thank Masvingo City for their unwavering support of Dr. Mnangagwa’s initiative. We appreciate it as a city. I urge other chefs to keep the fire burning—as the Shona saying goes, ‘Hukama igasva hunozadziswa nekudya’ (Relationships are incomplete without sharing food),” said Gundura.
With seven years in business, 32-year-old Gundura is the force behind two of Masvingo’s popular restaurants Eland and Reflections serving the best traditional meals and braai.
The Colours of the World Fair, launched in Istanbul in 2022, celebrates global cultures through traditional performances, culinary exhibitions, handcrafted artworks, and more.
Zimbabwe is currently ramping up efforts to promote gastronomy tourism as part of its cultural and economic development strategy.

By Tatiana Mhararira

Reformed Church in Zimbabwe run Zimuto High School’s drum majorettes stole the spotlight at the 65th Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo with their outstanding performance that captivated the audience and earned them four top awards.
The team’s stunning performances marked by synchronized movements and flawless baton twirling left a lasting impression and their vibrant uniforms reflecting the schools spirit were praised for creativity and attention to detail.
The four awards which were earned by Zimuto High were second best drum majorettes squad following Msitheli high which was the best, second best uniform with the gold medal given to Founders School.
Another award was third best overall team inspired by their school motto ‘Tinokwirira’ which works in motivating the learners to excel to the top with the first and second award given to Msitheli and Zengeza 1 high respectively. The last award was third best sub leaders the first and second awards given to Zengeza 1 High and Msitheli high respectively.
Speaking to TellZim News Zimuto High head Langton Chikaka said they were happy for the recognition saying the awards were for the first time in their history.
“We are elated by the show of good performance by the learners and we are forever indebted to the trainer’s efforts that made us get these awards for the first time although we have been perennial participants at ZITF,” said Chikaka.
Zimuto high also displayed a smart navigation kit for the visually impaired at the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MOPSE) exhibition stand. The kit comprises of three active components namely a walking stick, navigation spectacles and Global Positioning System (GPS) module.
The cutting edge technology has got a motion sensor which detects obstacles in the movement process, it has a moisture sensor which detects water bodies, and the navigation spectacles detect written texts and convert them into audible and the GPS module helps to locate the exact location of the visually impaired individual in case of an emergency.
Learners from another RCZ run school Pamushana High unveiled a smart car park system designed to streamline parking and integrate modern technology into everyday life at the ZITF.

By Beatific Gumbwanda

CHIREDZI- With rampant growth in suicidal issues as well as drug and substance abuse among the communities, SolidarMed, in partnership with the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council through its Adolescence Heath Project, recently brought a health clinic for the youth In Chiredzi.
The clinic was brought to Tshovani Stadium, where mental health screening, adolescence reproductive health, family planning, HIV and Aids testing and counselling was being done for free.
In an interview with TellZim News SolidarMed Project Officer Tawanda Magara said the organisation in partnership with ZNFPC and the Ministry of Health wanted to help adolescence with correct information about Sexual Reproductive Health as well as substance abuse.
“Today is a Youth day, where we are partnering with ZNFPC and the Ministry of Health and Child Care to educate the adolescence about issues of Sexual reproductive health (SRH), drug and substance abuse through mental health screening to avoid suicides caused by anxiety and relationships as this age is very delicate,” said Magara.
Magara said issues of drug and substance abuse had reached a certain level in Chiredzi as drug peddlers were using injections.
“This programme will also help the adolescence on the dangers of drugs as drug peddlers here in Chiredzi are now using injections to drug youths, where they later in turn draw blood of an injected individual in order to drug others, which is now spreading blood related diseases like HIV and Aids,” said Magara.
One adolescent and Peer Educator, Tatenda Ganduri said the program was very beneficial to their age, especially on issues to do with drug and substance abuse, mental health as well as Sexual Reproductive Health issues.
“This programme is beneficial to the youths who are deeply embedded into drug and substance abuse as well as sexual reproductive health. There are experts in those tents educating us on issues to do with sexual reproductive health as well and mental health issues, condomising as well as abstinence issues,” said Ganduri.
SolidarMed is a dynamic organization with a vision of engendering quality health care in disenfranchised communities through its partnership with the Ministry of Health and Childcare and supports the national health strategy in Masvingo province through locally embedded projects in the field of HIV/TB care, Maternal and Neonatal Health, and Non-Communicable diseases.