Give education & training to Zimbabwean girls

Rafiki Girls Centre has had another busy and productive quarter, despite increasing pressures with less funding and more need and application for places.

Last summer’s intake graduated from their nine-month training this quarter. 30 girls graduated, with 9 specialising in Hospitality, 8 in Cutting and Design, 3 in Interior Design, 4 in Nurse Aid, 4 in Pre-School Teaching and 2 in Cosmetology. Of these, 21 have already gained employment – within two months of graduating! This is a very impressive feat given that the unemployment rate in Zimbabwe is around 90%.

This January’s class are progressing well, and are currently completing their vocational training on placement at a variety of organisations across Harare – including schools, hospitals and hotels. These placements are vital for them to build relationships with future employers as well as gaining knowledge and practical skills.

Another new intake has just been welcomed, with recruiting taking place across this quarter and the class starting their training last month. Recruitment continues to grow as a process, becoming more challenging and time-consuming each intake as Rafiki’s reputation grows. More organisations and individuals are referring women in need to Rafiki, which means that without further funding, the great need of each women applying for a place must be considered and only a few who are most in need and will most benefit from training can be supported each time. Unfortunately, this means some women must be turned away until we have the funding to accommodate them.

The students who were selected we are confident will benefit greatly from the training they will receive at Rafiki. The vast majority do not have O Levels, and most have lost one or both parents and are forced to support themselves and their families. The training they receive over the next nine months will enable them to gain qualifications and a steady income, to improve their circumstances and support themselves and any dependents successfully. Each student is engaging with the course, excelling in the life and personal skills start to the training and they are excited about the prospect of choosing a subject to specialize in next quarter. Extracurricular events, such as field trips, HIV awareness workshops and counselling, and open days, are something for the students to look forward to across this next quarter.

Rafiki continues to learn that some girls just need someone to care and show them they deserve a better life, and this is all they need to gain the confidence to take positive steps to improve their circumstances. Rafiki continues to provide support to these women, empowering them to gain the education, skills and confidence needed to thrive independently. This work is completely vital, and reliant on your support now more than ever. Rafiki and ZET continue to be grateful for your financial support, which is providing a second chance for many young women. We hope that this partnership continues and grows.

It has been another busy quarter at the Rafiki Girls Centre, with the end of the course drawing near from the July 2016 intake and the January 2017 intake progressing onto educational and vocational courses. The July 2016 intake have begun their technical and vocational training, whilst the January 2017 intake have just completed the first stage of the course in personal and life skills.

Your support has enabled us to guide 60 young women into further education or vocational training, providing support and counselling to raise awareness of HIV and build the life skills which allow the girls to go onto live independently and successfully. Besides this training, Rafiki has held a number of events this quarter!

Rafiki held an Open Day, which successfully showcased the centre and allowed staff to interact with parents and families. After parents were informed that at the end of 3 months girls will be encouraged to volunteer for HIV counselling and testing, there had many questions. Some feared others wondered how they would react or proceed on with life if the girl told them that she was HIV positive. Parents and guardians also want to be equipped so that they can know how they handle the news in the case that the girls’ results are positive. Rafiki is well-placed to support the girls and their families through this by tackling stigma, promoting living with and treating the virus effectively, and providing counselling and support.

Rafiki held a Careers Day to educate the students on the various industries and educational opportunities available to them, encouraging each student to be aspirational and not let not any perceptions they or others may hold about them to define their future.

Rafiki held its annual HIV/AIDS workshop on tackling spread and stigma, and living with HIV. 144 ladies attended the workshop under the theme 90, 90, 90. 24 married women from the host church were among those who attended the workshop. This is a national wide theme that is being implemented right now in the country. It aims at having 90% of people being tested for HIV, 90% of those tested should being on treatment, 90% who get on treatment should adhere to treatment and the fourth 90 which was introduced during the workshop is about prevention of new infections by 2030.

All students in the January intake completed voluntary HIV testing and counselling, and some disclosed that they felt comfortable sharing this with the staff at Rafiki Girls Centre as they would be more supportive and understanding of a positive status than other support networks in their lives. Fortunately, the testing revealed no new cases of HIV.

Rafiki is indeed a centre for transformation. Girls have been transformed starting with their mindsets, especially those who thought that it was impossible for them to be self-reliant and independent. Many are so grateful for the programme that has given them hope so that they are able to start income generating projects and others have found jobs and earn money to sustain not only themselves but their family members also.

We are very grateful to ZET for funding that has already come through for us to continue with our activities and fulfill the Rafiki vision to equip disadvantaged girls with skills, so that they will be able to transform their lives through earning an income.

Please consider donating to this wonderful centre, to support young women to lift themselves out of poverty through education and training.