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Padare/Enkundleni in Gweru, Nkayi and Mberengwa in one week
Padare/Enkundleni/Men's Forum on Gender
February 19, 2010

It will be a busy week for Padare/Enkundleni/Men's Forum on Gender for the week starting on the 21st to the 28th of February 2010. Lots of programme activities have been lined up for the whole week across the country, with the major ones being the Tertiary Sporting Gala to be held at Mlezu Agriculture college, community outreach programme in Nkayi, and the Gender monitoring visit in Mberengwa.

Agricultural Colleges Sporting Gala.

It shall be a hive of activities in the Midlands Province from the 23rd to the 27th February 2010 where all Zimbabwean Agriculture Colleges are set to converge at Mlezu Agriculture College for a sporting gala running under the theme, "Scoring against Stigma and Discrimination." The theme has been coined in the wake that most students have now become exposed to lots of risky behaviours that are subsequently leading them to contract the HIV/AIDS pandemic due to economic hardships; hence there is need to guard against stigma and discrimination as well as to provide them with insights on prevention.

Padare/Enkundleni is proud to be supporting the event as it provides an opportunity to reach out to many students at once and sensitize them on Gender, Sexual Reproductive Health Rights, Sexuality and HIV and AIDS. Due to economic hardships most students have become vulnerable exposing them to risky activities as copying mechanism with college life. For example, female students engage in prostitution activities while their male counter parts act as courtship agencies that link female students and other men for a fee. This situation has brought in challenges in the fight against gender imbalances and HIV and AIDS.

As a result, Padare/Enkundleni made collaborative efforts with SAYWHAT in the mobilization of resources to support the event. Amongst the activities that shall be done include: the distribution of IEC materials that educate students on Gender, Sexual Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDS and Sexuality issues and the condom demonstration and distribution exercise.

The Padare Tertiary Programme Officer - Nixon Nembaware said, "This is any opportunity to sensitize students on a wider spectrum of issues that affect them and also it provides a platform to dispel some widely held misconceptions on Gender, Sexual Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS issues. We are targeting about 1000 students who will then be expected to be agencies of change in their respective communities."

Padare would like to attribute the success of the event to Oxfam Australia as it has managed to secure resources to support the programme.

Nkayi Community Outreach.

Padare/Enkundleni in partnership with Camfed and support from the Big Lottery Fund will be engaged in a community outreach programme in Nkayi District, Matebeleland North Province from the 21st to the 26th of February 2010. This shall be a sensitization programme aimed at capacity developing local members on gender issues and advocacy.

Most rural communities are experiencing lots of challenges in accessing the scarce multi- currency for sustaining themselves, a situation that has resulted in more social ills that affect children, women and men. For example, young girls engaging in prostitution activities while young boys involved in substance abuse.

The Padare Community Advocacy officer -Mr Paul Juru highlighted that, "due to economic challenges there is need for an intensive empowerment programme for young boys and girls in the marginalised communities by providing information that will protect them from any form of Gender Based Violence and child abuse. As a result, we are set to engage students and establish gender clubs in their respective schools and also engaging our Padare Chapter members. We are hoping to meet teacher mentors, support groups for mothers and fathers."

At least 1000 people are expected to be reached out directly including school children. Some of the schools that are going to be engaged include: Zinyangeni High, Nkayi High and Hlangabeza High.

Gender Advocacy monitoring visit in Mberengwa.

There shall be a monitoring visit on the 26th of February 2010 in Mberengwa as a follow up to the gender sensitization programmes offered to the traditional leaders and local community members on Gender, GBV and DVA. UNFPA shall be spearheading this activity.

Of particular interest will be the assessment of knowledge levels, attitudes and the reporting trends of cases of GBV so as to identify possible areas that requires improvement.

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