DUE to economic hardships and prolonged schools closure at the back of recurrent COVID-19 induced lockdowns, Marvelous Tsambe* (16) from Chikore Village in Chimanimani entered into an early child marriage at the age 14 as an escape from the challenges back home. However, to her surprise, marriage did not bring the much anticipated economic escape.
By Michael Gwarisa in Manicaland
Just like most girls her age in her area, Marvelous fell for Majoni-Joni or those young men who illegally cross the border to work in South Africa. Whenever they return home especially during the festive season, they flash large amounts of money and fancy clothes, resulting in many adolescent girls stampeding into child marriages or getting early unintended pregnancies.
I was impregnated and got into a marriage at the age of 14. Since I knew the man who had impregnated me, I eloped and stayed with his family. Unfortunately my baby did not survive. She died before I could even deliver her. I was told the baby died because she was fatigued or exhausted. That is when my parents asked me to return back home so that is where I am staying at the moment,” said Marvelous.
Even though age related biological factors alone cannot be wholly associated with increased risk of fetal death, there is evidence that complications associated with adolescent pregnancy include preterm delivery, low birth weight, and infant mortality and for Marvelous, age might have played a part in her delivering a still birth.
Marvelous has since enrolled into a Community Apprenticeship Club in Chikore under the Children Tariro Project Economic Strengthening (ES) arm being implemented by the Family AIDS Caring Trust (FACT). Under this project survivors of child marriage, Gender Based Violence (GBV) and vulnerable children are being given life skills training to sustain themselves beyond and outside the marriage setup. She is now doing a cutting and design or tailoring course at Chikore center and is optimistic that it will change her fortunes and earn her decent living.
“I was identified by the Children Tariro project and enrolled into a Cutting and Designing course. They linked me and other girls having the same challenges to skilled tailors where we are getting training and mentorship around tailoring. The Children Tariro project is buying material that we use during training as well as paying for our training here.”
Josephine Mwamuka* (16) who is also a beneficiary of the Community Apprenticeship
program under Children Tariro project at Chikore said she got married when she
was in form two, leading to her dropping out of school.
“I got married but things were not okay, we were having economic challenges among other issues in marriage. I returned home to my parents and i got enrolled into this project under the Children Tariro program. I was identified by FACT as a survivor of GBV and a child marriage survivor and i was enrolled into this training where I am learning cutting and designing skills,” said Josephine.
In Makoni District, girls from vulnerable backgrounds are also getting the same assistance and training. Angeline Tanda* (17), from Rukweza Village in Nayzura who is already nine months pregnant and expecting her first child said even though she has dropped out of school, she believes her new found trade will open up new economic avenues for her.
[pullquote]“During the lockdown period, I entered into a child marriage. I however thank the FACT team for identifying me and enrolling me into this tailoring course so that I may be able to look after my child when i give birth. From this cutting and design project, I have also managed to make clothes for my baby who is on the way and I also intend to start a tailoring business of my own,” said Angeline.[/pullquote]
Under the Children Tariro Project Economic Strengthening (ES) arm, FACT is assisting Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVCs) and Adolescent Girls and Young (AGYW) in Makoni, Mutasa, Chipinge, Buhera and Gutu. The program is being supported by the U.S President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). ES, as one of the secondary services under OVC and DREAMS aims to ensure local solutions for economic development are sought for OVCs, AGYW and their families to increase their earning capacity and reduce risk to HIV and GBV.
Through the Community Apprenticeship program under the Economic Strengthening initiative, FACT ensures that Community apprenticeship (CA) participants are attached to locally based skilled persons/artisan for three months. Adolescents, most at risk to HIV, were reached with layered socio-economic asset building, financial literacy and business development approaches to ensure income generation, delay in indulging into sexual activities and affording to buy basic needs.
Mr Ali Maulani, a Facilitator and trainer at the Rukweza Community Apprenticeship centre said they have made progress in equipping the young Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVCs) and young adolescent girls at greater risk of entering into child marriages and HIV infection with the requisite skills to stand on their own and make a living.
“We work with vulnerable girls, those who are survivors of GBV, those who would have dropped out of school and young girls living with HIV. The girls are aged 10 up to 17 years. Working with FACT, we have a period where we train the girls life skills and income generating projects. I am currently training them on sewing that is dress making and making uniforms, clothes for babies among other things.
“After completing, they are then given starter packs by FACT that they can use to kick-start their own projects beyond this center. Looking at Rukweza, we find that most young girls are idle and not engaged in any meaningful activit9tes and this further exposes them to child marriages and even to the risk of HIV infection. This program is helping a lot. By engaging them and training them these courses, they won’t rush into marriage or end up doing sex work to earn a living,” said Maulani.
He added that once the girls are released from the program, they also make follow-ups to ensure that they do not fall by the wayside. FACT also links the girls to potential markets where they can sale their products. The Children Tariro and DREAMS projects are however coming to an end in the districts where FACT in implementing them and there have been numerous concerns by beneficiaries to have the project extended up until a time they believe they can stand on their own.
However, FACT Zimbabwe says they have put in place measures and systems to ensure even after the close of the programs, the beneficiaries to the Economic Strengthening program will continuously be engaging various stakeholders such as government ministries, the financial services sector for small grants and other partners to ensure they continue getting the support they deserve.
Tariro Diana Mugoni, the FACT Zimbabwe Household Economic Strengthening Specialist said they have factored in the issue of sustainability beyond the project to ensure the gains earned to date won’t be lost.
“Beyond the project for sustainability our hope is that they should be able to continue with programs that is the ES program, the ISLE or savings groups and others because they are sustainable. The beneficiaries are given starter packs offered for an actual bridge to employment.We also work closely with the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development.
“When we train our staff, we train per district two officers from the SMEs department. These are the ones we do the training of community cadres with so they are readily available in the districts. We have sort of done capacity building within the government structures. When we train our staff, we also train government departments. There should be continuity,” said Mugoni.
Trade selection under the CT and DREAMS projects is informed by youth-led market assessments and courses on offer include electrical installation, motor mechanics, cosmetology, bread making, confectionery, horticulture, apiculture plumbing, tiling, cutting & design, metal fabrication, panel beating & spray painting and carpentry.
*Names have been changed to protect the identity of beneficiaries.
