Meet Nokutenda Nelia Magama
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Meet Nokutenda Nelia Magama
As a child from a rural Murewa community, Nokutenda Nelia Magama was fortunate to attend school and even graduated from a high school where her father also taught. As the oldest of five kids, she really wanted to be a good example to her siblings. She vowed to herself, despite all obstacles, that she would go to university.
In 2019, Nokutenda finished her A Levels and returned home to Murewa to live with her parents (most rural students at school). When the Advanced Level results were published, she was fortunate enough to pass and was excited to start university life. However, her parents were not financially stable enough to cover her university tuition. She vividly remembers her parents trying to sell livestock to raise money to fulfill her wish, but the country was experiencing hyperinflation, higher education felt further and further from her reach.
During that challenging time, a friend introduced her to a local community organization, Rozaria Memorial Trust (RMT), which we are proud to feature as our ConnectHER project partner this month! This was one of the best moments for her, as she began attending Nhanga every Friday, where she served as the first Community Nhanga president. Nhanga is a feminist and intergenerational safe space for advocacy, leadership, mentorship and skills building. Nokutenda started attending meetings at both district and national levels, advocating for issues affecting girls in rural communities. She had the privilege of being among the first group of beneficiaries of the economic empowerment project. She completed a three-day entrepreneurial training program at the RMT Education and Counseling Centre, where they focused mainly on detergent making, bag weaving, and financial literacy. She used the opportunity of the pandemic to establish her business selling liquid soap with the aim of funding her tuition.
In February 2020, she applied for an undergrad and managed to secure a place at Bindura University of Science Education. She also joined the RMT team as a receptionist and librarian assistant. Her various roles allowed her to work closely with girls and young women from deep rural communities through facilitating community and in school Nhangas.
She also had the opportunity to attend the ConnectHER Film Fellowship Filmmaking 101 led by Tinaye Wakatama. The fellowship equipped her to film media coverage of MTC's Soccer Tournament (our October 2024 Project!). She has contributed to the development of community initiatives, working with traditional and community leaders and leading young women’s advocacy on ending harmful cultural and religious practices in rural communities. In October 2024, Nokutenda proved that someone's background doesn't have to define their future by graduating with a Bachelor’s in Development Studies.
"As a young development practitioner, l really want to advance my career focusing on empowering girls and women in rural communities advancing gender equality,"
Nokutenda says of her future plans. We are so proud of Nokutenda and all her hard work, and for how multifaceted her career and future prospects have become thanks to Rozaria Memorial Trust's programs. Here she is, below, in RMT's library (that ConnectHER's grant last year funded!) with RMT founder and leader Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda. You can read more of her amazing story here.
