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Precious Manomano
Arts Reporter
Blessing Muderedzwa, a former University of Zimbabwe student, has launched dramas on YouTube to highlight the problem of child marriages and promote education for young girls in Zimbabwe.
Girls and boys have the right to protection from harm, abuse and exploitation, but for some children in Zimbabwe, their childhood is cut short by early marriages.
Muderedzwa is using drama and music to convey his message because music and arts are powerful tools to raise awareness on the need to end child marriages.
He said there was need to invest in alternatives to child marriages, and one of them is education.
“When a girl is married as a child, her fundamental rights are violated, so we are there to discourage this using dramas and songs to fight to the persistence of child marriages worldwide,” said Muderedzwa.
“As an artiste, my hope is to create dramas that can make an impact and help affect change in any way, whether big or small, this will help others to be more aware of some of the troubles others are facing around the world.”
Muderedzwa has launched dramas titled “The Black Mail”, “If Only” and “The Weekend Specials”.
The dramas highlight the importance of educating young girls, the effects of child marriages and early pregnancies, and how to manage divorces.
Muderedzwa said it was his passion to make to create a protective environment for children and ensure that the country supports laws and policies to strengthen systems that outlaw child marriages.
“My dramas also address social norms that allow child marriages to perpetuate in the country because various factors, including poverty, low levels of education and social norms which families feel pressured to conform and unequal gender norms put a much higher value on boys and men than on girls and women,” he said.
Onismore Mugona, an upcoming Zimdancehall artiste, is working with youths in high density suburbs of Harare to end drug abuse.
Mugona, who is also a promoter and an owner of Onezy Entertainment, said alcohol and drug abuse were threatening the lives of youths.
He said the most affected areas were Mbare and Highfields.
“I educate youths through my music to stop abusing dangerous dugs and raise awareness on the harmful and deadly effects of smoking, alcohol and substance abuse,” said Mugona.
Mugona said abuse of substances such as mbanje, codeine-containing cough syrups and crystal methamphetamine were killing young people through injuries, road traffic accidents, violence and suicides.
”This significantly affects their productivity, and disrupts their families and their future. So we are appealing to the young people to shun substance abuse,” said Mugona.
Early this year, the Centre for Innovation and Technology (Cite) Zimbabwe called on musicians between the ages of 18 and 35 to participate in the Voice for Change musical project by composing songs highlighting social issues.
The programme sought to empower young musicians who are between a rock and a hard place due to the ongoing pandemic that has left the arts sector hum-strung.
For the next year, each month will see the artiste with the best demo winning £165 (US$200), a recording contract and an online music distribution.
Earlier this year, Cite pledged close to US$25 000 towards supporting comedians and podcasters, among other artistes.
Online Reporter