IN HWANGE

Hwange Report.

Description of problem in Relation to setting.

Hwange is a mining district that is situated in Matebeleland North Zimbabwe. The population is quite diverse with a total of 16 languages being spoken across the district which has an estimated population size of 200 000 Some of the languages and cultures found in Hwange include Tonga, Venda, Nambia, Ndebele and Shona. Like its other counterparts in Matebeleland North, child marriage is rife in Hwange, which shares the same prevalence statistics as Binga. Similar to Binga, the Apostolic and Zion churches are said to make up the majority of this population. In the context of Hwange a number of factors were identified during the tour as determinants of child marriage. Key to these factors were lack of knowledge about child marriage being a criminal practise, poverty leading to child prostitution, church doctrines as well as culture.

Activities carried out.

1.     Follow up dialogue with the Bishops, church and community members

This activity sought to put emphasis on what was conversed during the bishop’s dialogue in Harare and in this regard helped in identifying specific determinants of child marriage in the context of Hwange. The activity also helped in identifying the practical solutions to the identified determinants.

2.     Distribution of IEC material.

This process together with the explanation of the IEC material contents helped in the increasing of knowledge on child marriage amongst attendees. An immediate suggestion by the attendees was the training of peer educators who would reach the Hwange community and raise awareness on the fight against child marriage.

3.     Training of club leaders.

With limited time and resources we trained health and club leaders, as the Unit hopes to establish health and rights clubs in the churches. The clubs will constantly do activities in the churches in regard to the subject of SRHR focusing on child marriage. The club leaders were drawn from different churches represented and pledged to start the clubs in the churches when the      UNIT provides material for them.  

OUR VISIT TO BINGA

                                                   Binga Report.

Description of Problem in relation to setting.

Binga district is a marginalised rural setting that is situated in the Matebeleland Province of Zimbabwe. The district has Tonga and Nambia as its predominant cultures and languages. Demographic statistics indicates that the Binga has a total population of about 129 000, with the majority of these individuals being from the Apostolic and Zion communities (ref). The Apostolic and Zion communities are no exceptions to the issues of child marriage and evidence suggest that child marriages are perpetuated in such context. Journalism on the prevalence statistics of child marriage highlights that Matebeleland North in which Binga is located has a prevalence statistic of 27%. These statistics translate to 3 in every 10 children being married before the age of eighteen (ref). To this end, a number of factors were highlighted during the tour to be determinants of child marriage. Key among these factors were the issues poverty, distance to schools, church doctrines, compromised or no access to SRHS  and the patriarchal nature of society where women and the girl child are treated as personal property.

Activities carried out.

1.     Addressing of religious and community leaders.

Prior to addressing Apostolic and Zion church members in Binga district, a meeting/follow up dialogue was held with their leadership. This meeting was done as means of making the leadership who are the primary custodians of the church and community have an appreciation of CCU campaign to ending child marriage. This move helped in establishing rapport between the CCU, the Apostolic and Zion churches and the community, thus allowing CCU to have unlimited access to the church members and the community. A noticeable impact of this activity was the acknowledgement by the community and religious leaders to support CCU in this community development effort.

2.     Priority setting.

This activity involved engaging with the Apostolic and Zion church leadership and members affiliated to ACCZ as well as Binga community members, in identifying key/priority determinants of child marriage. This activity came about with the realisation that child marriage has multiple determinants hence the need address the determinants in accordance to their level of importance. As aforementioned in the problem description, poverty was highlighted as the major contributing factor to child marriage as most parents said that they could not afford getting their children to school.

3.     Training of club leaders.

With resources we trained health and club leaders, as the Unit hopes to establish health and rights clubs in the churches. The clubs will constantly do activities in the churches in regard to the subject of SRHR focusing on child marriage. The club leaders were drawn from different churches represented and pledged to start the clubs in the churches when the          UNIT provides material for them.

4.     Distribution of IEC material.

The distribution of IEC material was an activity that was carried out as means of increasing church members and community knowledge on the issue of child marriage. The material that was distributed was in English language. This however came as a limitation as some of the attendants did not understand English.

Resolutions.

A number of resolutions were made by the church and community members in Binga district. Firstly the attendants agreed on carrying out income generating projects to address poverty as a determinant of child marriage. The projects that were mention were vegetable gardening, poultry,

bakery and fishery. To address the issue of distance, a plea was also raised to provide bicycles to

school going children. Donating bicycles to children was said to help in reducing the probability of not reaching school and finishing school. The information material for Binga was also translated into a language that is understandable to the community and is to be sent by the CCU.

Critical issues raised during the tour

Critical issues raised during the tour

·       As child education is one of the determinants of child marriage: The feasibility of the ECD program considering that some children have to walk over 10 km to school.

·       As law enforcement is critical to stop child marriage: Need to have more police officers and police stations in these areas.

·       Poverty, the girl child and circle of poverty: child marriage is being fuelled by lack there is need to start self help projects as a way of empowering households achieve food security and access to facilities.

·       Bottle stores are fuelling juvenile delinquency as there is no strict enforcement of the law that prohibits those under 18 from buying liquor.

·       Policies championing child development seem to be alien to the communities were child development is lagging behind i.e. level of compliance to policy is very low because of cultural ,linguistic ,infrastructural and geographical barriers.

·       The absence of a social budget has continued to fuel child marriages cognisant to the testimony of a 15 year girl who was orphaned and was married off early so that she could survive ,her testimony was to the effect that child marriage came as a salvation to her when she was faced with a bleak future no parents and social service support to lean on .