As the world commemorates Menstrual Hygiene Day DAPP believes that promoting menstrual health and hygiene safeguards women’s dignity, privacy, bodily integrity and self-efficacy. However, in Zimbabwe more than 3 million women and girls menstruate and the majority of them do not have proper and sufficient menstrual protection. According to the study by SNV Zimbabwe, 72% of menstruating schoolgirls do not use sanitary products simply because they cannot afford them. The study also showed that 62% of schoolgirls in Zimbabwe miss school every month due to lack of sanitary pads and 70% of these girls are not even aware of any sanitary pads brand on the market.
Period poverty is real and currently in Zimbabwe the biggest obstacle to using sanitary pads is affordability as one pack of pads costing for USD 1.00 or more, meaning that someone who has a heavy flow will need more than $3 which is difficult for some girls given the current economic conditions. Living in marginalized communities further complicates things as parents are fighting to put food on the table let alone find money for sanitary pads. Many women resort to using worn-out garments, newspapers and leaves, rags, cardboard, newspapers, tissues, socks, leaves, cow dung and other unsanitary means to try and manage their flows resulting in infections, leakages and discomfort.
An interview with adolescent girls highlighted that due to period poverty, the girls always fail to concentrate in class and sometimes miss school altogether because of the shame associated with soiling their clothes. As DAPP, part of our work is to empower the community especially adolescents about menstrual hygiene and combating period poverty. We also initiate programs where we train adolescent girls and young women to make period-friendly sanitation reusable sanitary pads.
“In my community, girls and women have limited economic opportunities which exposes them to gender-based violence, early marriages, period poverty and HIV and AIDS. Faced with these realities, I decided to use my spare time to volunteer at Hope Bindura where I offer basic sewing training of reusable sanitary pads to local young girls” says Paidamoyo
“Through the support of HOPE Bindura, we trained 25 girls from Wayerera Secondary School and 6 girls at Ponesai Vanhu Children’s Home to make sanitary pads. I am enjoying the experience and improvement of period poverty by adolescent girls. I am looking forward to seeing all the trained girls and young women cascading and having their period with comfort.” says Paidamoyo.
Due to such training from Paida, most girls now feel relieved to have reusable sanitary pads for both personal use and income generation as well.
Recognizing how veld-fires take a toll on communities and the environment, destroying trees, animals, infrastructure and in some cases killing people, DAPP Zimbabwe has initiated intensive actions within its programs to fight this deadly scourge.
DAPP Zimbabwe participated in the National Fire Week campaign on May 15th at Masimbe Farm in Shamva, Mashonaland Central. The Minister of Environment, Climate, and Wildlife, Sithembiso Nyoni, the Minister of State and Devolution for Mashonaland Central, Captain (Rtd) Christopher Magomo, and officials from the Environment Management Agency (EMA) all graced the event and our tent.
During their tour of our exhibition tent, these top government officials had the opportunity to speak with DAPP Frontline Institute teacher Tawanda Nyandoro, who informed them about DAPP’s community-based veld fire reduction initiatives, which include the campaign for installation of fire guards in communities, as well as education and awareness actions starting at the family level.
The fire season campaign runs from the end of July to the end of October, and this year’s campaign launch was themed “Prevent veld fires- protect the environment and livelihoods.”
Fears in communities are likely to be heightened amidst the El Nino induced drought the country is currently battling which necessitates veld fire management efforts.
On May 14, DAPP Zimbabwe participated in the International Day of Families commemorations in Dotito, Mashonaland Central Province. Senator Monica Mutsvangwa, Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development, the guest of honour at the event emphasized the importance of communities working together to address the effects of climate change for the benefit of families.
Gracing our exhibition tent, Minister Mutsvangwa learned of DAPP Zimbabwe’s engagements with communities through initiatives that address global warming and climate change issues affecting families. We showcased some of our initiatives which include Farmer’s Clubs, From Communal to Commercial (C to C) models, and our efficient Firewood Saving Cook project.
The commemoration themed “Families and Climate Change” which is aligned with our activities on information sharing and community engagements through awareness campaigns on climate mitigation and adaptation measures particularly in hard-to-reach places.
Also, in attendance at the ceremony were representatives from the government, public and private sectors, as well as members from the communities. Representing DAPP were members from all our projects in Mashonaland Central, namely: Hope Bindura, Child Aid Bindura/Shamva, From Communal to Commercial (C to C), Ponesai Vanhu Technical College, Frontline Institute, Park Estate, and Ponesai Vanhu Children’s Home.
Throughout the year, we made significant strides, particularly on pressing concerns such as global warming, climate change, and cholera epidemics. Our people-centered approach has not only produced excellent results, but it has also generated long-term collaboration with local partners, government officials, and other key stakeholders.
EIGHTY-ONE students graduated at a colourful ceremony held at our Frontline Institute project in Shamva following the completion of six-month courses titled “Our Humana People to People and Open Future Together”.
The graduates were students under the Humana People to People projects who demonstrated their dedication to development work leading to their training as global activists and advocates in development issues. The graduates hailed from Botswana, Laos, China, Malawi, Namibia, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Together, the 81 students acquired skills and knowledge of coming up with people-centric solutions dealing with local solutions. Staying in rural areas areas, the students were also trained to work in community-based projects upon exhibiting resilience amidst difficult living conditions.
Part of their training course included the Institution’s Trick Cycling programme where for two months, the students and their teachers travelled to the hard-to-reach communities implementing investigative pedagogy as their main method of learning. With this approach, students were nurtured to address real-life issues while the practical exercises boosted their interactive methods of studying, action research, group work and social interactions which proved to be a solid foundation for long-life lessons.
Forty-five students graduated on-site with the rest graduating virtually from their respective countries. Gracing the graduation ceremony were various stakeholders among them government officials, diplomats, local leaders, the media and DAPP staff.
The Frontline Institute is a multi-cultural institution for cultural exchange offering students the opportunity to learn and accept the diversity and oneness of humanity. The Institute also enhanced research skills giving the graduates leverage in coming up with solutions meeting the needs of different communities and current climatic conditions.
Over 60 per cent of the staff trained over the years at the Frontline Institute are still working in Humana projects promoting continuity and sustainability showing staff retention is at the core of the Institute. Around 6,000 people have graduated in 128 intakes at the Frontline Institute since the programme’s inception in 1993.
The report reflects a collective effort that has propelled us to make an impact on people’s lives in Mashonaland Central, Manicaland, and Masvingo provinces. In the year 2023, our presence impacted the lives of 378,675 individuals from all circles of life and we made significant strides, especially in urgent emerging issues like global warming and climate change, as well as the recent cholera outbreak.
