A potent home brew known as Chikodzongo has not only become popular in Mbire through bringing together imbibers for social purposes, it has its own dark side -- concealing indoor prostitution that is blamed for fuelling HIV transmissions.
As the sex workers hide behind doors in doeks and wrapping cloths, it has become difficult for stakeholders to identify and provide services to this key population.
Mbire has an HIV and AIDS prevalence rate of 6 percent and an HIV incidence rate of 0,08 percent, which the district AIDS Coordinator Mr Claudius Musandaira said was under threat due to indoor prostitution.
He said it was difficult to directly approach those engaging in sex work in this manner because to the community they were respectable women and mothers.
Speaking during the provincial celebrations of the World AIDS Day in Sapa village, Mbire, Mr Musandaira said they could not provide information to the sex workers because they were not coming out in the open.
"These sex workers brew traditional beer known as chikodzongo and take the opportunity to engage in prostitution," he said. "We cannot reach out to them with information and services.
"We have sensitised village heads on the impact of such activities and we are encouraging people to conduct their beer selling business at business centres."
Provincial chairperson of Meaningful Involvement of People living with HIV (MIPA), Ms Moreni Masanzu, said sex work was common at growth points and business centres in other areas, but the situation in Mbire was different.
This key population includes married women and single mothers.
She said issues of infidelity were ripping families apart and threatening gains made in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
"We cannot then approach them to talk about condom use and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) because during the day they are respectable women wearing their doeks and wrap-around cloth," she said.
"We have structures starting from ward level who are responsible for gathering information and creating Community ART Refill Groups (CARG) or Family ART Refill Groups (FAG).
"These support groups meet to discuss issues happening in communities, and indoor prostitution has raised red flags in Mbire. These groups also do pill counting for each member and when one has more or less pills than others it means that the member is not taking medication properly."
The members also screen each other for tuberculosis or pregnancy or signs of illness.
"If a member exhibits signs of illness, he/she will be sent to collect medication on behalf of others as a way of making sure he/she gets a medical check-up when they reach the clinic," she said.
The guest of honour, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Senator Monica Mavhunga, expressed concern over indoor prostitution.
She said it was easy when sex workers could be identified and targeted with services and information.
Coupled with child marriages, these behaviours reverse gains made in the fight against HIV/AIDS, she said.
"The Government is trying by all means to raise awareness in the community for them to abort harmful practices and behaviour," she said. "This is so because the Government has its people at heart.
"I was impressed by the love and care that people living with HIV have for each other. Continue to care for one another. I am appealing to everyone in this province to have the same spirit. I was challenged that some people here can take in a child who is not related to them, to care of them."
The World Aids Day commemorations in Sapa village started with a candlelight vigil as people in Mbire remembered those who died of HIV/AIDS.
People gathered at this memorial tightly hugged each as a sign that they need to lean on one another as they remain hopeful for the future.
Ms Annah Chikureni said she took in a one year and six months old baby after noticing that the child was malnourished.
She is not related to the baby whose parents are from the Johanne Marange apostolic sect.
The mother of the baby ran away and the father is reportedly living in Chegutu.
"The church forbids going to the clinic," said Ms Chikureni. "I asked the guardians to allow me to take the child to hospital and they agreed. Since I started caring for the child who tested HIV positive, the baby has recovered and is now three years old."
However, people living with HIV in Sapa village are still walking 19 to 17 kilometres to either Musengezi Mission or Masomo Clinic to collect their medication.
The journey is difficult during the rainy season and Mr Lust Chiropa appealed to stakeholders to speed up construction of Sapa clinic.
He said they end up borrowing pills from each other, something which is not encouraged by health workers.
"Sometimes we set on the journey to either Musengezi or Masomo on foot after working in the field," he said. "On some of the days I borrow a bicycle or end up borrowing medication. I am happy that I joined CARG.
"We are appealing for speeding up of construction work at the local clinic so that we don't continue walking long distances."
Mr Chiropa who tested positive for HIV in 2014, said he enrolled on ART last year after a time of failing to accept his status.
He was tested at Dambakurima Clinic in Centenary after taking his ill child to the clinic.
"We had a misunderstanding with my wife on our way back and we decided to ignore the status until my wife fell ill last year in October," said Mr Chiropa. "This is when I remembered that I didn't go back to the clinic after testing positive in 2014.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"I urge people to know their status and immediately start treatment when they test positive. My wife recovered and we are both healthy, carrying on with our farming."
The belated World Aids Day commemorations were running under the theme, "Equalise, access, empowerment, inclusion, opportunities and upholding human rights (a, e, i, o, u)".
National AIDS Council provincial manager Mr Edgar Muzulu said HIV and AIDS were still a health burden and people must know their status and seek treatment.
"Access means people must get services close to them," he said. "The multisectoral approach ensures that people get services including testing, PrEP, post-exposure prophylaxis PEP, circumcision, one stop centres among others.
"Empowerment means that people must have opportunities to engage in self-help projects to improve their livelihoods. Inclusion means no one and no place must be left behind in HIV/AIDS issues. This is why we are here in Sapa, close to the border with Mozambique, a marginalised community.
"Opportunities means education and health opportunities must be available. Upholding human rights means also include people living with HIV. Different stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health and Child Care are here, providing services."
