Zimbabwe – Nurturing responsibility through peer education and community based counselling

Peer education is very much involved with the education of fellow peers about issues that affect them physically, emotionally and psychologically. Counselling is what helps the individuals to overcome or arrive to a solution to a particular problem. It is crucial to society to have something that can counter the above mentioned issues. This is because a person’s progress and elevation in life is very much influenced by their self-esteem, how they overcome their fears and the availability to find ready assistance. This project is innovative because it counters situations before they affect a person’s potential to do better in life.

The main aim was and still is to witness a visible change in people’s attitudes towards themselves, others and life in general. When a person is assured and supported it brings about them a positive change. The project sets out to mainly uplift young women with esteem issues and general lack of self-worth.

It means to reach out and show people that somebody cares and there really is hope for everyone, that hope can be found inside of themselves as well and all they have to do is unlock their inner strength by borrowing wings while their broken ones heal.

The main challenges that were faced were resistance to change, it was and still is hard to convince a person to let go of a bad habit because comfort zones once nurtured become almost impossible to leave. I have however persistently provided real life examples to these people that show how the problem may affect them in the long-term if not dealt with immediately. The other problem is financial aid I and countered this problem by improvising the little that I had to be adequate.

Women have been empowered now they have someone they could talk to about issue, as a woman myself I can testify that we’re are rather emotional beings now here is an opportunity to help us vent our pent up emotions overtime therefore it is has assisted many overcome low esteem issues and stand up for themselves. Where necessary. We have also helped women on how to deal with a bully by making them understand that a bully is also someone that needs help. Inside a bully is a small scared child that needs to be unfolded and given assistance as well.

Men have been very supportive by actually commending the good work done on their sisters, wives and mothers. For example a certain man was very grateful after accompanying us to an orphanage visit and witnessing the exchange between myself and the girls. Some have gone very far as to give us free transport to move around as we do our business.