The Platform for Youth and Community Development (PYCD), through its Gender Office, is spearheading efforts to strengthen community-based mental health and gender support systems in Chipinge District.
Led by Gender Wellness and Advocacy Officer Cynthia Gwenzi and her deputy Rejoice Mutikinya, the initiative titled "Promoting Counseling and Community Support Systems for Better Mental Health and Gender Justice in Chipinge" is transforming the way schools and communities respond to psychosocial challenges.
At the heart of the project are school-based interventions, outreach events, and counselling services aimed especially at adolescent girls, survivors of abuse and youth facing distress linked to poverty, disability or displacement.
"Our work is rooted in the belief that healing begins in the community. When learners have access to psychosocial support and feel safe, they can focus on learning and building their futures," said Gwenzi
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From 23-24 July, Takwirira Government High School hosted one such community outreach.
Facilitated in partnership with CAMFED and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, the event brought together a range of actors from civil society groups to government departments to promote mental health and gender justice.
Gwenzi and her team conducted wellness sessions, helped identify at-risk learners, and coordinated counselling services with support from school authorities and the Zimbabwe Republic Police's Victim Friendly Unit.
"Our main target here at Takwirira High School is the girl child whose mental health has been negatively affected by socio-economic and cultural factors undermining their concentration at school. Hence, the need for psycho-social support to rescue them," she added.
Over the past six months, the PYCD Gender Office has facilitated 39 counselling sessions, assisting more than 300 girls both in and out of school.
The team has dedicated over 900 hours to building mental health and gender resilience in the community.
The outreach also featured the establishment of a One-Stop Centre where ministries issued birth certificates, delivered child protection services and shared empowerment opportunities.
Mr. Agray Mundondo, Manicaland's Provincial Principal Education Psychologist, lauded the programme as a model of inclusive governance.
"This is a practical demonstration of the Whole-of-Government Approach, where ministries and agencies work in unison to uplift communities and safeguard learners," he said.
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Local residents hailed the initiative as a lifeline for vulnerable learners navigating hardship in rural Zimbabwe.
