Founder: Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda
Country: Zimbabwe
Area of Work: Mentorship and Child Marriage
Impact: 50 scholarships for child marriage survivors, 1 generator
Years in Partnership: 5
Rozaria Memorial Trust, Zimbabwe
Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda
Founder of the Rozaria Memorial Trust
"With COVID 19 the situation has been desperate with closure of schools and lack of access to services, but ConnectHER has stood with us at this difficult time of need and of resilience of our communities. Thank you so much ConnectHER."
Help survivors of child marriage reclaim their lives.
In Zimbabwe 1 in 3 girls is married before the age of 18. Rates are even higher in the rural Murewa and Shamva Districts targeted by this project, with rates of 36% and 56% respectively. When girls marry young, their development grinds to a halt, and they often live in entrenched poverty.
This project helps child brides in Zimbabwe reclaim their lives, regain their dignity, and fulfill their economic and social potential. It also works with girls who are at risk of marrying early, such as orphans. The Rozaria Memorial Trust gives these young women and girls the support they need—counseling, education, and vocational training—to get their lives back on track. The project is directed by Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, the African Union’s Goodwill Ambassador on Ending Child Marriage.