Training leaders in Zimbabwe's Deaf Community

Building on the previous leadership strengthening initiatives, Nzeve continued investing in the capacity of 8 Deaf club leaders by equipping them to serve as Gender-Based Violence (GBV) focal persons within their communities. While the awareness sessions also included other Deaf men and women(30) to promote broader community engagement, the primary focus was on strengthening the knowledge and capacity of Deaf leaders, recognising their influential role in raising awareness, supporting survivors, and facilitating referrals within their Deaf clubs.

In partnership with the Ministry of Women Affairs and the Victim Friendly Unit (VFU), Nzeve conducted GBV awareness sessions in Mutare and Rusape. The training focused on increasing participants' understanding of what constitutes Gender-Based Violence, the different forms of GBV, its impact on survivors, the importance of timely reporting, and the support services available within their communities. Participants also gained knowledge of survivor-centred referral pathways and the roles of key service providers, enabling Deaf leaders to confidently guide community members to appropriate services when cases arise.

Strengthening the capacity of Deaf leaders to serve as GBV focal persons creates a sustainable, community-led approach to GBV prevention and response. Even after the project ends, these leaders will continue raising awareness, supporting survivors, and facilitating referrals within their communities. Their shared language and understanding of Deaf culture also enable them to effectively reach and support Deaf individuals who use home signs or have limited formal sign language skills, ensuring that all cases are reported .

Following the previous leadership training sessions that focused on strengthening skills in report writing, financial budgeting, and understanding fair and transparent election processes, Nzeve continued its efforts to raise awareness and actively involve the Deaf community in leadership roles. In this phase, Nzeve conducted follow-up engagement sessions with 15 Deaf club leaders in Makwasa, Chipinge, Rusape, Mutare and Mutambara at the end of October 2025. The sessions aimed to create space for Deaf leaders to reflect on their club experiences and identify key knowledge gaps they believe Deaf members within their clubs need to be capacitated on. Through guided discussions, participants highlighted crucial topics requiring further training to strengthen club governance, participation, and sustainability.

The sessions also re-emphasized the importance of report writing, with practical discussions on documenting activities, tracking progress, and improving accountability within Deaf clubs. Leadership training and report writing were further linked as essential skills for effective advocacy work. Strong leadership enables Deaf club leaders to confidently represent their members’ concerns, while proper documentation and clear reporting provide evidence to support advocacy efforts with local authorities, service providers, and other stakeholders. Accurate reports also help leaders track community issues, demonstrate impact, and strengthen their credibility when engaging in policy dialogues and community decision-making processes.

Club leaders actively participated, sharing challenges and proposing solutions tailored to their local contexts. Through these targeted follow-up sessions, Nzeve continues to reinforce leadership development within the Deaf community by ensuring that training responds directly to the needs identified by Deaf leaders themselves.