By Asha Emmerson | Oasis Zimbabwe CEO
Thanks to all our Global Giving donors, Oasis Zimbabwe was able to launch the first of our SWATT-TEAMs initiative community training and strategy sessions on 3rd May 2018.
90 people from across our programmes, plus team members receiving the training themselves, took place in our fist training. 85 of the attendees were women, and came together from several high-risk communities we work alongside across the Greater Harare area, including Epworth and Goromonzi. There was a strong mix of community and the attendee list was cross generational, including teachers from our 99 Oasis Zimbabwe Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centres, parents and caregivers of children from the ECD Centres, community leaders and members of our in community economic strengthening groups, and young women from our vocational tailoring training course. The room was packed and the energy was high!
The first full day of training together was facilitated by our Oasis Zimbabwe CEO with our Programmes Director, both of whom frequently burst in to song in the midst of the training. The "rule" was that any time music was heard, everyone had to join in the song and dance. The atmosphere was awake and the training and dialogue was deep, focusing on how mindsets can influence choices, priorities and the ability to make decisions with long-term consequences. From this basis, everyone walked through the processes of exploring and owning how our mindsets have contributed to cycles we see in our individual and community contexts, and focused in on cycles of sexual and gender-based violence in our communities. The information supporting the fact that 113 rape case are treated on average each month in the community where a majority of the women live, and the reality that there is likely at least one unreported case for every reported case, was a real wake up call to all present and increased the resounding "YES" to us, as community, moving from being seen as a point for information in awareness campaigns to being THE solution! Lots of lively group dialogue occurred, lots of "aha!" moments were observed, and this energy was brought into the second part of our day which focused on strategising around rolling out the sexual and gender based violence response through SWATT TEAMs.
The 90 champions discussed first steps to establishing supportive networks for survivors of sexual violence in our communities and started to develop ideas about how to engage the police, local government, churches and clinics to ensure services are delivered effectively. Discussion which continue into the various groups’ weekly meetings, and which will further inform our next training and strategy session planned toward the end of June and monthly moving forward.
One of our star champion ECD teachers, Dorothy, commented on how powerful she found the first training session, "We receive the best training to impact children with Oasis Zimbabwe, we are stars who are respected within our community because of this, but this training together has been amazing and so valuable to bring deeper light to us about the way we have limited ourselves in thinking about what we can do. As you said, we don't know what we don't know, but now we are becoming so much more aware. We are becoming aware that we are perfectly positioned, as women who can change the nation, to change this violence in our community".
We wish that you could have experienced the energy of everyone in that room, this is the beginning of a powerful movement of women, and men, who are empowered through the responsibility they are determined to carry. Even though not present, you share in this movement by your support. We are all so grateful to you for the part you play in it by your contribution.
Our goal is to train 1000 SWATT TEAM members through raising our total goal of US$50,000 (we have raised US$7,540 together to date). If you are inspired and would like to support this movement further, please consider another one time or recurring gift. Gift an amount to honour your father this Fathers' Day, let your family and community know about us should they wish to do the same.
with thanks from Oasis Zimbabwe and the first of the SWATT TEAM champions!
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