Our Programs

SDG 1: YOUTH DIALOGUE ZIMBABWE PROJECT

Recognized by the World Bank, Simuka Africa was a founding member of the Global Youth Anti-Corruption Network formed at the Global Youth Leadership Forum. Further, Simuka Africa was elected to represent Zimbabwean youngsters at the Africa Union Pre-Heads of States Summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The delegation was involved in drafting the agenda for the AU Heads of States Summit.

SDG 2: THE MATCH-A-MEAL CAMPAIGN

SDG 1: YOUTH DIALOGUE ZIMBABWE PROJECT

We contribute towards the Building Sustainable and Safe Futures for Girls and Young Women Project in Zimbabwe. To date, we have assisted more than 650 vulnerable households with food & vegetable garden assistance. We also provide monthly supplies of basic food, skills training & starting capital entrepreneurial activities to girls and young women at risk & child marriages.

SDG 3: The 34 Gallery

SDG 1: YOUTH DIALOGUE ZIMBABWE PROJECT

SDG 3: The 34 Gallery

34Gallery.org is based on UN SDG 3.4 guidelines to promote good mental health through utilization of the Arts. It will be facilitated virtually throughout 2024.

We have also partnered with HUG, an initiative created by Randi Zuckerberg, to present monthly Open Calls on positive mental health themes. Meet our award-winning artists.

SDG 4: NORTON VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE & Library

Our target UN SDG Action: "Rescue plan for people and planet through a youth vocational training centre on life skills," is driven by the Simuka Africa Youth Association Board, coordinated by Andrea Romaoli Garcia, OHCHR Special Rapporteur & supported by the Government of Zimbabwe, UNICEF, UN Volunteers and World Bank.

SDG 5: The SAYA Girls cLub & Educational Training

SDG 4: NORTON VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE & Library

We established a Youth Resource Centre at Norton Vocational Training Centre equipped with computers, sports equipment, and free internet. Also, we offer free information and education materials on entrepreneurship, HIV/AIDS and Adolescent & Youth Sexual Reproductive Health at the Norton Library., which empowers girls at risk of child marriage through life skills training.

SDG 6: CLEAN-UP CAMPAIGNS

SDG 4: NORTON VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE & Library

SDG 6: CLEAN-UP CAMPAIGNS

With the support from UN Volunteers Office in Zimbabwe, VSO, UNICEF and Proudly Zimbabwe Foundation, safe water for all is a Simuka Africa spearhead. Borehole Projects in our region of Zimbabwe have been drilled by UNICEF and other partners alongside empowering water committees. To date, more than 20,000 people benefited from having clean water access.

Our Mission for Child marrage Survivors

The Reality of Child Marriage

Every year, at least 12 million girls are married before they reach the age of 18. Because poverty is one of the main driving factors behind child marriage, the phenomenon is most widespread in low- and middle-income countries, where 26.7 per cent of young women were child brides. The practice is also particularly widespread in conflict-affected countries and humanitarian settings.

Child marriage, or early marriage, is any marriage where at least one of the parties is under 18 years of age.

Rates vary by country and region. West and Central Africa have the highest rate of child marriage, with four-in-10 girls married before age 18, while South Asia is home to the largest total number of child brides. In terms of absolute numbers, India has the most child marriages – in 47 per cent of all marriages there, the bride is a child. However, child marriage can be found everywhere, even in high-income countries.

Worldwide, there are more than 700 million women and girls alive today who were married before their 18th birthday.

Child marriage destroys lives and is gradually known as a violation of the rights of girls as it interferes with their education, slabs them of opportunities in different areas of their lives, and increases their risk of exposure to sexual violence and HIV.We as human beings must take a stand to stop child marriage whenever and wherever we see it.

“We must act with urgency and commitment to end child marriage. And we must tackle its root cause: gender inequality. If all girls completed secondary school, child marriage would fall by 66 per cent." - Dr. Natalia Kanem, UNFPA Executive Director

Despite the various international, continental, regional, and domestic legislation that prohibit child marriages, the practice is still rampant. While 158 countries have set the legal age for marriage at 18 years, laws are rarely enforced since the practice of marrying young children is upheld by tradition and social norms. Child marriage is still a serious human rights issue in Shamva district and other parts of Zimbabwe, which further impacts our nation's efforts to improve the lives of us all.

This is why Simuka Africa Youth Association is fully dedicated in helping child marriage survivors to attain the resources necessary to go back to school. Together we can build a resilient future.