Introduction
My name is Advocate Nomatter Mapungwana, I am a leader aged 33, former National Youth chairperson for Zimcodd, Sadc committee member for Youth in Tourism and also the founder of an organisation called CYDAT (Conscious youth for Development and Advocacy Trust). I started this Advocacy work in 2014 and this seems to be my vision of representing the voice of the voiceless.
ADVOCACY ISSUE
I decided to drive an issue of effects of Covid 19. Driving an issue of school dropouts since the beginning of Covid 19. Statistically, Manicaland Province is the only province with many schools throughout the country. So I decided to research if every young lady managed to get back to school when lockdown ended. Some say injury to 1 is an injury to all, so I pulled up my socks to Advocate for my young sisters who were victims as a result of covid 19.
ACTION
I contacted an organisation based in Gombakomba and in that community in ward 16 there are 29 school dropouts and there are about 40 + young people who are also vulnerable to this issue. There is a very high risk of early marriages in Gombakomba.
In Zimunya I contacted Councillor Herbert Gonyora and he reported to me that there are 3 school dropouts 1 girl who was doing form 1 and 2 who were doing form 3.
In Penhalonga we also have quite a number of school dropouts due to illegal gold miners who are taking advantage of parents sending their girls to go sell food in the mining claims areas, so the miners will bride the girls with very small money and those girls will be impregnated and the miners will disappear.
In ward 19 of Dangamvura Chikanga there is 1 school drop out and she was sent to rural areas with her parents because she didn’t know who had impregnated her.
EXPERIENCE AND ACHIEVEMENTS
The experience hasn’t been that smooth, the road wasn’t that narrow, it has been a learning experience but very amazing indeed. The online meetings have been so helpful in making our projects quite understandable despite network challenges. We want and wish to be policymakers so that our voices out there will be heard and documented.
CHALLENGES
Contacting duty bearers have not been that easy for me because some of them keep giving excuses and some are not cooperative. I tried contacting school Heads but because of the closure of schools during the pandemic, they are still very busy with school administrations and also trying to Cover up time wasted during the lockdown.
Some councillors are so reluctant, some they don’t even know what you will be talking about. Some are cooperative like Councillor Herbert Gonyora of Zimunya.
I also contacted to Member of Parliament, one is a Dangamvura Chikanga MP Hon Prosper Mutseyami and he referred me to his councillors, the other MP of Mutasa South Constituency Hon Regai Tsunga he promised to get back to me.
I couldn’t travel to meet all schools and councillors but to some councillors, I used WhatsApp audios and I have them I can present them on the presentation day. I am still researching more because Mutare is big. Another challenge some parents are failing to understand is why we are asking about their girl child who is not attending school lessons, maybe they feel offended.
CONCLUSION
I am proud to be a woman, I realised I am brave enough to confront duty bearers to give us the information we need. I feel with online meetings I am capacitated to train, coach and lead other women out there.
I would be grateful if I engage those school dropouts, train them, coach them to become young successful entrepreneurs, start their own businesses or motivate them to try Vocational Training Centres to learn.
Personally, I am an entrepreneur I do roadrunners I have up to 300 chickens, I do Catfish farming, I built a cottage at home I have tenants, I sell mabhero. I count money every day, so as you if you wish to start. If you don’t start now you will never start.
I see an economically, socially, politically empowered young woman of tomorrow.
