Blog | Africaid Zvandiri

May
20

2013
By Sungano

PAB meets

Category: News 2013 Tags: Africaid Leave a Comment

The Peer Advisory Board conducted their first meeting of the year on the 18th of this month. Its membership is made up of one child representing their support group/community.PAB is there to cater for children’s wellbeing, children who are in support groups. Their (PAB) job is to find out whether there are any querries, likes or suggestions by children.

Due to various commitments PAB was not having its update meetings hence the call for a structured and functional board. The board cited many issues which include:

pillbox distribution helping children adhere to their medication
children love the educational books at support group and are hoping for more
the topics, discussions and information shared at the support groups is easy to apply and also helping their fellow peers going through difficulties
the fact that there are child leaders at the group meets make it easy for another child to relate, relay whatever
there should be youth groups to cater for teenagers
most children are afraid of attending support groups in their communities due to discrimination
follow up on children who are out of school and develop their skill and talent
All members agreed that support groups have made it easy to interact and communicate with each other.

PAB also passed a rule that if any of their members miss 3 meetings he/she is permanently

PAB members leaving after a hard day’s work

removed and someone from the same community will be handpicked for the position.

There was a call for a strong leadership thus the following positions emerged- Chairperson, vice Chairperson, Committee member, Advocacy and information Chairperson, Treatment Care and Support Chairperson, Secretary.

May
15

2013
By Lawrence Magara

Happy and grateful

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waiting for the show to commence at the Simba Zone-HIFA

HIFA 2013 may be a thing of the past but to these children and youths the memories remain strong and vivid in their minds.

taking it out on the dance floor

Long awaiting has it been since the previous exhibition of art. The Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) where our organization has been invited for the past couple of years and it was at this year’s that we were invited to participate broadening up their theme for this year ‘whats next’. A lot of exhibition was expected to commence which included live shows from local and regional artists, modelling shows to say just a few. The one we had been invited to was a dancing extravaganza which was happening for the first time in HIFA’s history or even in Zimbabwe. On the 1st of May the first MOB dance was showcased at Avondale shopping center which was a bit crazy and fun at the same time. The 2nd MOB dance took place along George Silundika and First street in the CBD on the 4th of May.

Pastor Chantel Wright with the U.S Ambassador to Zimbabwe David Bruce Wharton, Manuel Bagorro ( founder-HIFA) and St Georges Principal

Songs of Solomon in collaboration with a local choir were set to perform at HIFA’s main stage arena on the 5^th, the concert which was dubbed “Songs of Inspiration, Singing in The Homeland: American Soul Meet African Rhythm”. Why are we speaking of an American gospel choir? We were part of the youths invited to see them during their rehearsals held at St Georges. It was amazing how everyone interacted with each other, one song which moved everyone to tears goes like this “..I need you, you need me, I love you, I need you to survive!”. Leading the choir was Pastor Chantel Wright, she said something important soon after the song saying “It is easy to love, give someone a hug and you would not have lost anything at all in the process.”

May
15

2013
By Sungano

Interview with Nicola Willis

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This week, Nicola was interviewed by author Tinei Shamu, to understand more please the following link.http://tineiblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-warm-embrace-for-adolescents-living.html”

Apr
30

2013
By Sungano

Children’s voices in the media

Category: News 2013 Tags: Africaid, UNICEF Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Union for Journalists 2 Comments

Zimbabwe Union of Journalists and UNICEF held a 2 day workshop with children from different organizations in attendance over the weekend at Mukuvisi Woodland in order to make children’s voices and choices heard in every form of media.

Children’s views and opinions are not being voiced neither is their participation notable in the media. Is it due to lack of child friendly media platforms or it is because they genuinely do not know the said platforms where they can be part and parcel of decision making process in terms of what they want to hear on the radio, TV and what they read in the newspaper? The main agenda of the workshop was that of getting them involved in the media and other current platforms like on Television-the Young, Gifted & Talented (YGT) show, Cool Lifestyle (Newspaper), Sunday Mail Bridge section (Newspaper) and radio programs on special events like the International Children’s Day of Broadcasting. The workshop also was about learning how to be a journalist, how to write different types of articles life a feature and hard news story. We learnt of writing for those who are behind time simply by stating Who, what, where, when,why and how- the 5Ws and an H. Leading the workshop was Charles Mushinga- Deputy Editor of H-Metro and Editor of the Sunday Mail Bridge section, Nigel Nyamutumbu (Programs Officer for ZUJ).

Invited guest speakers included Samantha Sanangurai (Care At The Core of Humanity-CACH Zimbabwe) – an organization which helps children in contact with the law/caught on the wrong side of the law, their families and their communities, Foster Dongozi (ZUJ Secretary General).

with Sanni Makhalima at the Zi FM studios

Day 1- We started the day by having a media tour of the following studios- ZBC Pockets Hill Studios in Highlands Harare which included, National FM, Power FM and how they connect with their other studios like Radio Zimbabwe in Mbare and Sport FM situated in Bulawayo. We also toured Zi FM studios and got amazing photos with Sanni and Delani Makhalima, also Tinopona Katsande, Tintin for short. At the Zi FM studios since it is digital, we got to see just how it all works.

From the left: Sungano, Tintin and Loyce

After the tour we got back to the Mukuvisi Woodland where Samantha showed us just how much people and we children are ignorant when it comes to human and children’s rights. She also said something that was very interesting- we might have rights but when you abuse them, the law can take away those rights!

Day 2- We had a discussion session with Mr Dongozi. We discussed about what we would want in order for us to be part of the media, what can be done to increase media consumption by children. We came up with the following ideas:

There should be listening clubs and in such clubs radio sets should be handed out
Media products should be able to cater for every child
Children with impairments should partner and produce media for their peers

He then told us of a soon to be available platform by UNICEF called Your call/Your Phone whereby UNICEF will advertise their toll free number and any young person can call and text about anything you want. We ended day 2 by touring the Zimpapers Offices and getting information on how they work and print their newspapers.

Plus I learnt for the first time what a voice bank is. Whereby if you think you have a great voice you go to Zi FM studios, record a demo for free and when they get clients who want a voice over advert and they play their voice bank which would probably have many voices stored and your voices the one the client chooses well serious cash. You get called in again and you do the advert. Easy money.

What a more better way to end the workshop than enjoying nature and wildlife

Got to meet my totem up close- the Eland-Mhofu
Oh is that a Zebra

Apr
29

2013
By Sungano

Move to the beat and heat

Category: News 2013 Tags: Africaid, HIFA Leave a Comment

hands up!!

The third week of April on a Tuesday mid-morning, you could hear amplified music and voices of many children as you are about to enter the Africaid premises.

What had brought about such an action you might ask- the fever and heat as is the norm on each and every given April in the capital is all about Harare International Festival of the Arts. HIFA is indeed one of Africa’s largest international arts festival. It was established in 1999 by Manuel Bagorro, the festival takes place each year in late April or early May in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. HIFA is a week-long and encompasses five principal disciplines, which are: theatre, music, dance, fine art and poetry. Children from the Zvandiri program are going to be part of one of the above mentioned discipline-dance or to be clearer a flash mob and it is the opening act on the 4^th of May!

part of the mob

A flash mob is seen as an artistic expression done in a public place and since there is only one choreographer teaching each group and it involves many individuals we agreed we were to rehearse once a week up until HIFA. On the 16^th we started training and by the time the day was over, everyone agreed that the routine was indeed difficult hence each person was going to learn at home. The first time we only learnt one part of the routine and on the 23^rd we were going to do the unfinished part. Like I said before the dance steps are difficult and you have to be fast and very flexible for it to really come out. We are currently stumbling and the fact that the festival is around the corner is not helping matters. In our case every step, every clap or any movement you make has got to be at the same precise moment.

to the left

Perfection is what we want and that is what you are going to get!

Open invitation to all, be part of us and come witness our performance and other acts at the very grand arena-Harare Gardens it will be. See you there.

Apr
17

2013
By Sungano

Meet the TEAM

Category: News 2013 2 Comments

Africaid just like any other organization has got people or to be more precise a team which keeps everything together and running as effectively as it does. Team 2013 has got the following individuals:

Nicola Willis

THE BOSS-Nicola Willis trained for four years as a specialist children’s nurse at Nottingham University, UK, and afterwards developed interests in children with HIV. In 2002 she left the UK with her colleague Marcus McGilvray to drive to Africa in a 20 year old landrover. They crossed the Sahara Desert on their way south, working in Ghana (building from scratch a clinic for people with HIV), and then South Africa (writing internationally acclaimed guidelines for managing HIV in children).

In 2004 Nicola moved on to Zimbabwe, where she worked with Professor Luthy at Connaught Clinic in Harare, establishing the new children’s clinic there. Subsequently she created the Zvandiri Programme within her own organization Africaid, of which she is the Director.

We will start the introductions with team members who when you come to the Zvandiri House in Avondale, Harare you are guaranteed of seeing them, thus:

THE AUNTIES- Martha, Eliza and Felisitas are women who are irreplaceable, in terms of counseling,

From the left: Elizabeth Gwenzi, Felisitas Ngubo & Martha Mawodzeke

career guidance and Love- ask any Zvandiri youth. Martha is the Programs Manager of the organization, Felisitas is the Nurse counselor and Eliza is the Training officer and she is also a Counselor.

THE UNCLES- Likewise they are seen by many children and youths as father figures.Chengetai is the Monitoring, evaluation and reporting officer whilst Jonas is the Finance and Administrator Manager and Nigel is the Case Management Officer

Lawrence Magara & Sungano Bondayi

THE I.T OFFICERS- Young, determined and courageous (to face the computer and use it to its extent). Lawrence Magara and Sungano Bondayi are the 2 youths in charge of the I.T department and the training of computer skills to their peers.

Africaid is an organization which is growing and branching out into other Zimbabwean provinces and that is why we have the Provincial Focal Persons who include Siniko Ndlovu, Simbarashe Munyonho and

From left: Siniko Ndhlovu, Simbarashe Munyonho & Takura Mangwiro

Takura Mangwiro. They in turn are working and training tirelessly the Zvandiri program to various health institutions in Bulawayo (Bulawayo province), Gweru (Midlands province) and Mutare (Manicaland province) respectively.

Far Back: Jonas Manangazira, Andreas Keller, Takura Mangwiro
Centre: Siniko Ndhlovu, Nigel Gaza, Chengetai Dziwa, Simbarashe Munyonho, Martha Mawodzeke & Elizabeth Gwenzi
In front: Felisitas Ngubo

Pics taken in Victoria Falls where the leaders went for team building

PAB meets

Happy and grateful

Interview with Nicola Willis

Children’s voices in the media

Move to the beat and heat

Meet the TEAM

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