AHF and Partners Empower Marange Girls Through Health and Career Fairs

By Evans Jona

MARANGE – The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC), the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC), the National AIDS Council (NAC), and other key stakeholders, on Wednesday hosted a vibrant Health Fair at the Mafararikwa Girls Hub in Marange, aimed at promoting adolescent girls’ health, rights, and access to essential services.

Held under the theme “Your Health, Your Life,” the fair offered a wide range of free health services including HIV testing, family planning, cancer screening, and wellness assessments. The event brought together adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) from surrounding communities, creating a safe and interactive space for them to access accurate sexual and reproductive health information.

AHF Prevention Program Manager, Clever Taderera, said: “This event is not just about services, it’s about empowerment. We want young girls to be informed, supported, and confident in making decisions about their health.”

Health professionals and peer educators engaged the girls through open dialogue sessions, exhibitions, and information booths focusing on wellness, lifestyle improvements, and stigma reduction. The event was hailed by stakeholders as a crucial intervention in improving early access to preventive care and breaking cultural taboos around sexual and reproductive health issues.

National AIDS Council Mutare Rural District AIDS Coordinator, Kim Mubayiwa, said: “A significant progress has been made in increasing awareness levels to AGYW through the various health promotion programs in the district. However, though less, some knowledge gaps still exist which often result in low risk perceptions, poor decision making, and low uptake of health services, leading to poor health outcomes, as evidenced by new HIV infections, STI cases, and early unintended pregnancies among AGYWs.”

She added: “Overall, with the high turnout at the HIV and AIDS Health Fair in Mafararikwa, we are positive that awareness levels have greatly increased and the district is on track in the reduction of HIV infections and Ending AIDS by 2030. Platforms like the health fair are very effective in increasing access to HIV prevention, treatment, and care services. Taking the services to the people always has a positive outcome as it leaves no place and no person behind. The community greatly welcomed services like cervical cancer screening and consultation by the medical doctor which were served at their doorstep. There is also need for the addition of other services and provision of medications at the health fair to increase effectiveness. NAC will continue to support outreaches; we are going to continue with quarterly outreaches on differentiated service delivery with MOHCC and HIV partners. We are also supporting the Not in My Village campaign which is being spearheaded by traditional leaders and aims to reduce child marriages and HIV infections among AGYW.”

Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) Provincial Manager, Asport Hove, said several pressing sexual and reproductive health concerns were raised by adolescent girls and young women in the community. “Many expressed limited knowledge about family planning methods and their benefits, and a lack of access to youth-friendly health services. Some also spoke of pressure from family members to have children due to religious beliefs supporting early marriage, which is still prevalent in Marange. Cultural and religious barriers make it difficult to have open discussions around adolescent sexual and reproductive health.”

Hove added that while mobilization for the health fair could have been stronger, the reception of family planning services and information was positive. “Many AGYW expressed gratitude for the information and services provided—some even mentioned they had never received such comprehensive information before. Compared to other outreach activities, we noticed a higher level of engagement. Girls asked more questions, showing curiosity and a willingness to learn, perhaps because family planning is not widely discussed in their community.”

On how ZNFPC is ensuring continued access to SRHR services beyond events like this, Hove explained: “We are working closely with teachers and lecturers to integrate comprehensive sexuality education into school curricula. We’re also strengthening partnerships with local health centres to ensure they provide youth-friendly services. Through collaboration with AHF, we provide technical assistance and resources needed to support SRHR delivery. We’ve also established a network of community-based distributors to reach young women in hard-to-reach areas and continue to conduct regular outreach events to maintain engagement.”

On Tuesday, a day before the health fair, AHF and its partners conducted a Career Guidance Fair at Zvipiripiri High School. The fair brought together students from five secondary schools in Marange and featured collaboration with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS), Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, and Marange Vocational Training Centre.

The goal was to help learners make informed decisions about their subject choices and future careers through direct engagement with professionals and representatives from various government sectors.

AHF Prevention Program Manager, Clever Taderera, said they are working with the government to ensure that students are provided with valuable insights into various career paths and opportunities. “These career guidance fairs are being conducted under the Girls Act program which seeks to encourage girls to stay in school and achieve their career aspirations.”

He added: “AHF is committed to supporting girls in the Marange rural community through our career guidance initiative. We are also committed to ensuring that young people—with a particular focus on girls—are equipped with the tools they need to achieve their full potential. The program seeks to empower girls in Mutare rural to take control of their lives, make informed decisions about their education, health, and future.”

The back-to-back events reaffirm AHF’s commitment to empowering young women through health and education and demonstrate the value of multi-stakeholder collaboration in addressing the needs of girls in rural Zimbabwe.