Source: Visualise Us

I attended a presentation by a remarkable young Zimbabwean woman at the US Embassy Harare Public Affairs Section on Tuesday. Nyaradzo Mashayambombe is a gospel artist and founder of Tag a Life International. Having grown up in rural Shurugwi, Nyaradzo witnessed the challenges faced by girls and young women. Their circumstances inspired her to found Tag A Life International in 2010.

Of forming TaLi and her work she says,

“TaLi was borne out the vision of a need to create a safe world where girls can dream as much as boys, and gain access to resources so they can become who they want to be. I began to believe that the empowerment of the girl child couldn’t be complete without the involvement of the communities in which they are socialised. “

In her presentation Nyaradzo stated strongly that men could also play an important role in the lives of girls and young women,

“Our strategies are based on a strong belief that harm should never happen to girls and we cannot remain on the sidelines without taking a proactive stance. This stance involves educating our communities, men and boys, that they have equal responsibility towards their female counterparts. Men ought to play a role in improving a girl’s life. If you are a relative, compliment them; be interested in their talents and education. Make her feel important such that she won’t think that getting it from a man is worth losing her own life.”

“From my discussions with different Zimbabwean women, I have come to realise that many are struggling to find their space within society and to give voice to their many concerns,” observed Fungai Machirori the Founder and Managing Editor of the women’s web portal. “In my view, these challenges have come about because Zimbabwean women have struggled to strike a balance between articulating and celebrating their individualism, while still retaining their collective cultural and social identities.”

herzimbabwe is … a space where, hopefully, women will be able to see their lives and stories  reflected through those of other women. The portal will feature personal perspectives, historical information, arts, lifestyle and health features, as well as a section dedicated to male views and experiences. The herzimbabwe project will also actively engage Zimbabwean women in the Diaspora who have often been marginalised from mainstream Zimbabwean discourse due to their physical distance from issues.

For more information about HerZimbabwe email info[at]herzimbabwe[dot]co[dot]zw

Thanks to Flora Veit-Wild for a tremendously beautiful rendition of her relationship with Dambudzo Marachera.

Dambudzo Marechera unlocked many doors for me and let me peek into the marvellous world beyond. He gave me intimations of hell, but also the strength to resist.

Read the whole piece on the Mail & Guardian.