Angeline Makore: Uplifting girls and women in Zimbabwe

Angelina, Could you please tell us about your work in empowering girls in Zimbabwe?

My work in empowering the Girl children in Zimbabwe is anchored by my vision to see girls succeed despite their circumstances. I tailor-make programs to suit various needs of girls in Zimbabwe and beyond, through my organization SparkR.E.A.D .

Some of my work includes but is not limited to advocating for sexual reproductive health and the rights of young girls in order to access correct and adequate information and services about their sexual health. I do this work through collaborative engagements with the community including adolescent girls. I also empower young girls to break the ceilings when it comes to their education – I’m running a program that seeks to encourage girls to venture into STEM careers by paying their high school fees, and mentorship with established women in science and career guidance.

Last but not least, harmful cultural and religious practices infest our communities, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. To combat these practices I speak out against early, forced child marriages and Gender-based violence. I rescue child marriage victims together with gender-based violence victims and offer them temporary shelter, legal, and counseling services. We also raise awareness through community dialogues with leaders such as pastors, traditional chiefs, and local members of parliament. ,