The Sunday Mail
Ruvimbo, 16 years & Tsitsi, 15
Chitungwiza Cluster, Citizen Child Youth Media Project
THEY say that don’t trouble yourself telling people of the labor pains; rather show them the baby. Indeed for us the young people of Citizen Child Media Project Chitungwiza cluster the 23rd of January 2016 was our day as we bore our brand new baby.
When November 2015 rolled to a start, the Global Action Month, wherein the theme was to stop Child Marriages, it was so much fun challenging such a phenomenon.
Expectations were high with so many activities lined up to fight the scourge of child marriage in our community of Chitungwiza.
From publishing our stories in the Sunday Mail Bridge to posting our concerns on social media, the youth advocated tirelessly against the exploitation of girls and the scourge of child marriages.
With the help of the Chitungwiza Junior Council we managed to hand over the petition to relevant stakeholders.
A constitution court ruling was enacted that will see the protection of the welfare of the girl child.
NO GIRL UNDER THE AGE OF 18 SHOULD BE MARRIED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
However the month was not all rosy for us, one of the demoralizing week of the month was when we had to write about child brides in our communities. Many refuted for the fear of their so called husbands, emotional stress and didn’t want their miserable life laid bare but we were simply trying to find ways in which we could help them. Sunny and cloudless the 23rd of January 2016 saw the Citizen Child youth celebrating a successful Global Action Month (GAM) at Zengeza 1 High School.
The event was graced by Charles Mushinga, the editor of the Bridge Column in the Sunday Mail. He inspired, encouraged and motivated us to keep on doing the great work and also congratulated all the members who were committed and devoted to ending child marriages.
The Executive members of the Chitungwiza Junior Council were present as they gave an account of how they presented the petition of change to the senior council.
We really do appreciate the work done by Sunday Mail through the Bridge Column which publishes stories about us young people and our plight. Surely as Mr Mushinga opined, the pen is mightier than the sword. We are surely going to continue embracing the notion as young people.
Students, YOU CAN SEND YOUR ARTICLES THROUGH E-MAIL, FACEBOOK, WHATSAPP or TEXT Just app Charles Mushinga on 0772936678 or send your articles, pictures, poetry, art . . . to Charles Mushinga at [email protected] or [email protected] or follow Charles Mushinga on Facebook or @charlesmushinga on Twitter. You can also post articles to The Sunday Mail Bridge, PO Box 396, Harare or call 0772936678.
