Traditional leaders intensify NAC’s response to HIV & AIDS in Matobo

Brenna Matendere

Chief Fuyana in Matobo, Matebeland South, has moved a gear up in supporting the National Aids Council’s response to HIV and AIDS.

Part of the unique support offered by Chief Fuyana includes resetting the mindset of community members to turn the tide and slow down teenage pregnancies and child marriages which expose adolescent girls to HIV.

The campaign is dubbed “Not in My Village.”

Village head Shakespear Ndlovu from Esigodini said the not in my village campaign encompasses fighting all that is not in tandem with culture/ubuntu.

“Neibhours are encouraged to watch each other and identify young people forced into early marriages and if these cases are found, they are reported to Chief Fuyana and culprits brought to book,” he said.

Headman Makholisa Ncube said the philosophy of the chief is to ensure that children must not have “children”.

“All harmful practises that cause HIV are not allowed in the village. That is why we say not in my village,” he said.

Two traditional dancing groups of virgins and young boys dubbed Amaguqa and Amachichi have since been established in the area as part of Chief Fuyana’s strategies of keeping youths away from HIV risks.

Families and community members concealing child marriages and teenage pregnancies, now have their cases tried at the chief’s court with detterent sentences passed.

“We have rolled out the ‘Not in my Village’ and our target for now is awareness raising so that we can change the mindset of community members.

Esnath Moyo-Nkomo leader of Amatshitshi group of virgin girls said the group is instilling disciplene into the girls.

“We are running away from child marriages and so we formed this group. We in the past had incidences of 13 year olds giving birth but that is no longer the case,” she said.

Lawrence Ncube, the Matobo District AIDS Coordinator said:

“They are being trained to delay sexual departure.”

Brian Ncube leader of Amaguqa said the boys who are not yet sexually active are oriented against being trapped into HIV risk behaviours.

“Families and community members are concealing cases of teenage pregnancy and child marriages, not realising the impact of their actions on these youngsters.

“We want the community to be on the same page with us as they play a crucial role in the success of this intervention. We want perpetrators to realise the gravity of their actions and we want families and the community to stop tolerating this cruelty so that they can act as whistle-blowers,” reiterated Ncube.

16 year old Nomathemba Mugumba said the traditional chiefs are using various platforms such as gatherings and community courts to educate villagers on the “Not in My Village” campaign.

She explained that the leaders are educating people on the effects of teenage pregnancies and child marriages on youngsters, the gravity of committing the offence, concealing or aiding, and the consequences.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Health and Child Care that were presented during a “Not in My Village” chiefs’ orientation training workshop in Gweru recently, 8 900 adolescent girls and teenagers from eight districts in the country were last year reported pregnant after seeking antenatal care services, while over 6 800 delivered either at home or at health facilities, and six died during delivery.

The worst affected districts are Chipinge, Mutare, Goromonzi, Murehwa, Hurungwe, Chegutu, Beitbridge and Insiza.

Nine children below 10 years were reported pregnant in Chipinge, Mutare, Insiza and Chegutu.

Statistics have also shown that teenage pregnancies and child marriages are more pronounced in rural communities and are predominant in resettlement, mining, border areas and areas dominated by religious sects.

These startling figures have prompted urgent action from community leaders and stakeholders.

Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), is spearheading the “Not in My Village” campaign.

The initiative is youth-led, driven by the Young People’s Network on Health and Wellbeing (YPNHW), in partnership with the National AIDS Council (NAC).

Eliminating child marriages and teenage pregnancies aligns with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), which aims to create a prosperous and empowered upper-middle-income society by 2030.

Child marriages in Zimbabwe are influenced by factors such as poverty, gender norms, cultural and religious beliefs, and lack of access to education and comprehensive health services.