BUILDING THE FUTURES OF 100 ZIMBABWEAN GIRLS

As you might recall from earlier updates, we’ve been struggling to keep our girls in vocational training programs, largely because of resistance from their caregivers, who want them to stay home to cook, clean and watch the younger children. As they had no choice but to succumb to that pressure, an alarming number of girls looked for another way out….and get pregnant.

We are working hard to devise ways to break this cycle, talking long and hard with both the caregivers and with the girls themselves. The women’s empowerment group at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in New York City has lent their voices to the struggle, chatting with our girls regularly on Skype, giving them new ways of thinking about themselves, putting them in touch with the ways young women think about themselves and their futures in other parts of the world. Thus far, both groups are enjoying the contact enormously. We’re hoping that the American girls might make some real impact as well.

We don’t want to leave you with the impression that none of our girls are thriving. A year ago Eshter finished her O Levels and had always helped out cooking for our kids and eventually handled all the cooking, ordering of supplies and teaching other children. But it was time to move on. Esther  is now in nurses aide training doing her attachment at a downtown clinic. Tamani, who already finished her certification as a preschool teacher and, having finished her nurse aide training, is now our in-house first aide go-to person. She wears three hats, filling in when other teachers are absent, overseeing the health of the children and taking on some of our growing administrative work. Thamani is 19 years old.

Rumbidzai, 16 years old, just finished her O-levels but did not pass her exams and is too young for many vocational training programs. But she’s determined not to get pregnant or stay at home, so she’ll be coming to Zimkids daily to begin acquiring work skills as we help her figure out how to plan her future. We are paying school fees for girls who are at risk of leaving school but passed their exams following completion of O levels including Mildred who began her A levels in January. On her days off she is at Zimkids helping other girls.

Please know that developing strategies to keep our girls safe and allow them to achieve some independence is our highest priority at the moment. We’re consulting everyone we know with experience in the field and are open to trying almost anything. So if you have any thoughts, PLEASE pass them along. The future of these girls is too important for us to ignore any suggestions. 

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