Zimbabwe: Memory Muchina

Sexual reproductive health rights gave me a light and am now outside the cave and can now speak with confidence and know what I will be talking about.               I thought I knew it all until I met with Gender Links on Sexual Representative Health Rights meetings. I was a Junior Councilor for Guruve Junior Councilor. I worked hard for my District but I was not working in a professional and organized manner as far as youths’ health is concerned until I met Gender Links. I will always be grateful.

Apart from being a junior councillor under Guruve South constituency, I fought hard for youths to shun the abuse of drugs and unwise decisions on sexual matters and health. Usually, I used to help people around me with advices and other decisions. As a community leader, I was constantly in contact with needy and vulnerable women and children.

The community which l was living was full of youths who were not valuing their health. They spent their days searching for drugs, sex and other bad habits which was not even tolerated by the society leadership. Girls were not even sure about their right especially sexual rights.

Boys were seeing girls who were at their periods like they are unclean to associate with and they seem not to care about helping them to boost their confidence and actively participate in school. Girls were regarding the issue of periods like a sin which can be talked about with boys. Many girls were indulging in drug abuse and after they are drunk they started to have unprotected sex with commuter omnibus bus drivers and gold miners. This made HIV /AIDS percentage to rise, leading to high death rates especially to those in denial .School dropouts became the order of the day and early pregnancy and marriages in the whole district.

Sexual reproductive health and rights educated me on how to deal with issues like the importance of valuing my health and that of other youths. The workshops were very educative and informative on a personal level. It was my turn to go and start educating the youths who fall under my jurisdiction. I made use of social media platforms and other means which were available to disseminate the lessons learnt. At first the move seemed difficult for me but with lots of prayers, commitment and patience change was seen.

I conducted presentations on school assemblies and on a WhatsApp group that I created to advocate for change though it was slow until many youths accepted the information. Though it was a difficult task to educate and help them, I didn’t stop to preach the sexual health information and rights until many changed.

I carried out all these campaigns when the economy was harsh and the data tariffs were hiking each day but however, I used every opportunity I had at home, in the streets and anywhere I met with youths. I am glad today because some of the youths I assisted have changed their attitude positively towards SRHR issues. They say “together we stand but divided we fall”. I always encouraged team work to the youth for best results and the impact to be felt as well.

God brought you where your surroundings would be changed and where you could be disciplined by His Holy Spirit, that you might acquire moral power and self-control to make you a conqueror. It will require the strongest effort, the most persevering and unfaltering determination, and the strongest energy to control self. I give my gratitude to Gender Links for all the teachings and rich information that have instilled in us. Its left for us to use that knowledge and impact positively in the world of the youths.