adminColumbus Mabika recently in MUREHWA
In an initiative to tackle gender-based violence and child marriages in Murehwa area, Chief Mangwende in partnership with the Rozaria Memorial Trust, has launched the Zunde RaMambo initiative.
The project was launched at the Chief’s homestead in Marumisa village in Murehwa recently and several fellow chiefs, village heads and their subjects attended.
Chief Mangwende, Mr Taaziva Gatsi, said the project would benefit the poor in the community as it had been found that a major cause of both evils was food insecurity. So the programme starts with a community granary in every village to cater for the less fortunate and those affected by drought, reintroducing and updating an important custom that worked until too many people saw it as a bother rather than a life-saver.
“Our intention is to come up with food reserves for the community to avoid and eliminate domestic violence and child marriages caused by food insecurity in homes.
”We have 58 villages with at least 110 000 people. Our people must not starve and end up making wrong decisions in life,” he said.
Chief Mangwende said the launch of the programme should result in each village having its own common fields managed by the local headmen.
“This is cascading to all villages under my jurisdiction and each village should have its own food reserves. If need arises, the headmen will come to me for authority to release food to those in need,” said Chief Mangwende.
He said every household that faces food insecurity will be assisted by the Zunde RaMambo reserves, which will also be distributed during funerals. The Zunde RaMambo has always been there but most communities had stopped practicing it.
Chief Mangwende also launched the Tseketsa programme to empower every girl below 18 years of age. Each person will receive a hen as capital to start a road runner project.
Speaking during the launch, African Union goodwill ambassador for the campaign to end child marriages and Rozaria Memorial Trust founder, Mrs Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, said child marriages were a harmful practice that affects the rights of a child.
“There is a correlation between poverty and child marriage. Girls from the poorest households are three times as likely to get married before age 18 as girls from the richest households.
“However, the correlation does not always mean causation. In contexts where the practice is almost universal, the level of education and location have been found to be major determinants, above wealth. While poverty may be a factor, there are also two other important factors that drive child marriages which are gender-based violence and gender discrimination in many communities,” she said
Mrs Gumbonzvanda said education could be one of the most powerful tools to enable girls to avoid early marriages and fulfil their potential.
Child marriages affected the girls’ education and child brides usually drop out of school and are denied the opportunity to complete their education, which significantly reduces their ability to earn an income and lift themselves and their children out of poverty.
“Conversely, if girls are able to stay in school and avoid early marriages, the benefits are widely felt,” she said.
Mrs Gumbonzvanda hailed Chief Mangwende for taking a tough stance towards eradicating GBV and child marriages in Murehwa.
Online Reporter