The Sunday Mail
Enacy Mapakame
Her love to see an empowered girl child and women is unquestionable. It has gone beyond borders. It has landed her an ambassadorial role for the Sister Accord Zimbabwe, the first chapter of the women’s organisation in Africa.
A broadcaster by profession and philanthropist, Thabani Gambiza used her journalism influence to reach out to many, to educate society about social issues, women and girls’ empowerment, eradication of gender based violence as well as the importance of education.
Through various outreach programmes, she has helped young women and girls become entrepreneurs, teaching them to start income generating projects for their economic empowerment among other initiatives. This, she also achieved through her foundation — the Thabani Patience Manjenjenje Foundation Trust (TPMF).
“My Radio broadcast career has helped me to push the women uplifting agenda forward. Through my programmes I brought to light social, marital, family and many other issues that women and girls face.
“It also pushed me to establish my own foundation in December 2016 called Thabani Patience Manjenjenje Foundation Trust (TPMF) which has voluntarily worked in different communities giving life skills training, menstrual hygiene management, micro enterprise businesses for women, and teaching girls about small business initiatives as well as sexual reproductive health issues and other issues that affect girls and women,” she said.
Her efforts have not gone unnoticed. A week ago she was announced as the ambassador for the Sister Accord Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwe chapter is the first in Africa for the Sister Accord Foundation, an organisation that was started by an American woman called Sonia Jackson Myles in 2013.
The organisation’s mission is to bring together one billion women and girls around the globe and inspire them to learn how to love and uplift each other.
‘‘Membership to the organisation cuts across sectors, backgrounds, education, race or religion.
The Zimbabwean chapter is one of the strategies the organisation is using to reach out to more women across the globe, and is expected to soon spread across the continent as efforts to reach one billion women.
Through the chapter, the foundation will implement three areas of focus that is educating girls and women through scholarships, enlighten women and girls on the power of sisterhood and eradication of bullying and violence against women and girls.
Said Ms Gambiza: “This will enable the women and girls to know their identity, be uplifted and aspire to be better people in society. This brings a great opportunity because if you educate a woman and a girl you have educated the whole nation and taking into consideration that as women we have different talents, skills and goals, it however goes a long way in our empowerment.
Being the Ambassador of such a great organisation means a lot to me as an individual, it is a prayer answered as my passion for women and girls did not start after being named but it dates back when I was still a young girl. “I have the love for an empowered and educated woman and girl, it gives us a sense of belonging, it changes our mindset and level of thinking, it instils self-confidence and self-worth and it encourages us to work hard in everything that we do, the list is endless.”
In terms of career advice to other women and girls, Ms Gambiza highlighted the need to follow one’s passion as opposed to succumbing to societal pressure. This is what has made her stand out in journalism, a male dominated sector, which she stepped into nearly two decades ago at the then Radio 2 as a producer or presenter.
“Not even one day have I regretted to be a radio broadcast journalist as it has shaped me to be who I am today.
“I encourage all women and girls out there to follow our passions and transform not only ourselves but our families, workplaces as well as our communities,” she said.
