By Bongiwe Dube
Even when everyday life became difficult due to lockdowns and health crises in September 2022, young people in Matabeleland South did not sit back. Instead, a brave group of trained youth community champions stepped up to protect their villages. Through a grassroots movement focused on peer accountability, these champions took the vital health knowledge they received from the Community Youth Development Trust (CYDT) and carried it straight to the doorsteps of their neighbours.
Living in remote areas often means that serious issues like gender-based violence, early marriages, and sexual abuse can happen in secret. Because of a lack of information or fear of the perpetrators, many families used to hide these violations, leaving victims to suffer alone. The community champions set out to break this dangerous silence by teaching their peers that reproductive health is a basic human right that must be defended.
In Matobo, for instance, a passionate champion named Primrose Ncube became a vital voice for justice. She realized that waiting for problems to fix themselves was not an option. When she discovered a hidden case of abuse involving minors in her locality, she refused to look away. Using her training, Primrose stepped in and reported the matter using proper legal channels, ensuring the family could no longer conceal the crime and that the children received immediate protection.
At the same time, young men were encouraged to join the movement and champion responsible behaviour. In Umzingwane, another dedicated youth named Thabani Mpofu took it upon himself to talk straight to his peers. He openly advised other young men to take care of their partners and make safe choices. He urged his fellow mates to always practice safe sex and be responsible so as to avoid contracting sexually transmitted infections and becoming fathers at too young an age.
By standing up and speaking out, champions like Primrose and Thabani proved that young people have the power to protect one another. They showed that when youth are informed, they stop being passive victims and become active shields for their communities, ensuring that no abuser can hide behind cultural silence or family secrecy.