60 million girls in Zimbabwe
Just a bit east of Zambia, we find ourselves in Zimbabwe, where we again partnered with the Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF) in two projects. SLF’s partner on the ground in our first project in 2009 was the Girl Child Network (GCN). In this project, we supported 500 girls in 10 provinces in Zimbabwe. The main objective of the project was to increase access to education for girls and reduce the vulnerability of girls infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. The funding would allow GCN to continue to pay school fees, educational and basic needs such as uniforms, and to provide the girls with much needed guidance and psychosocial support.
Photo: Girl Child Network
The second project, in 2019, was with SLF’s partner on the ground, Mavambo Trust, an organization that works in the impoverished areas of Harare. 60 million girls provided a grant of $50,000 to provide accelerated learning, school fees, uniforms and psycho-social support to both primary and secondary school girls. In addition, the grant would provide funding to send vulnerable girls to the annual community camps for psycho-social, sexual and reproductive rights and career counselling. The Mobile Learning Lab again played a pivotal role by providing offline resources and technology.
Photo: Mavambo Trust
Welcome to Zimbabwe!
Did you know that Zimbabwe…
- boasts 16 official languages – the most in the world according to the Guinness World Records.
- was one of the last African states to attain independence from British colonial rule, in 1980.
- shares with Zambia the Victoria Falls, one of the seven original natural wonders of the world.
- is believed to be the location of the biblical Ophir, King Solomon’s legendary lost gold mine.
Zimbabwe’s education
- Zimbabwe is a progressive country in terms of providing educational opportunities for its children, shown by the significant rise in the number of children enrolled in school over the years.
- More recently, enrolment has decreased due to poverty rates that continue to plague the country’s rural population.
- The result is that girls’ education is declining in Zimbabwe, as parents are more likely to opt to send their young boys to school.
- In addition, adolescent girls are especially at risk since families may use them as a source of income and choose to marry them off.
You wish to hike in Zimbabwe?
Hiking is one of the many outdoor pursuits Zimbabwe has to offer. The Turaco Trail is one of the most beautiful and challenging hiking trails. It will take you through a vast mountain wilderness of wild rivers and waterfalls. Enjoy!