Trymore Tagwirei

For generations in Chiredzi’s Shangani communities, the girl child was often denied education, with many forced into early marriages, but a quiet revolution is underway.

The National AIDS Council of Zimbabwe (NAC), through its DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe) programme, is reshaping lives, shifting cultural norms, and strengthening the fight against HIV.

Launched in 2021, DREAMS has so far supported more than 1 000 vulnerable girls in Chiredzi rural.

At Hlanganani and Chimbwedziva secondary schools, 100 girls are directly benefitting from the programme, which pays school fees, provides uniforms, stationery, and sanitary wear, and offers mentorship to keep girls in school.

Hlanganani Secondary School teacher and DREAMS mentor Linda Matsilele has seen the changes firsthand.

“The project has supported 68 students here since it started, with 29 currently enrolled. It’s like a mother to us. It pays fees, provides essentials, and gives hope where there was none,” she said.

NAC has invested over US$7 000 at the school, funding not only tuition but also development projects, including the construction of a computer laboratory. The initiative is now changing the trajectory for many families.

For 18-year-old Monica Masungwini, the support has been life-changing.

“DREAMS supported me when I was very young. They paid for my nine O-Level subjects, and I passed eight. Now I’m doing A-Level, and they have already paid for my registration this year,” she said.

Her story is echoed by 17-year-old Letty Ingwani, who says the programme is bridging cultural gaps.

“As girl children in the Shangani culture, we used to be left out, especially in education and life-changing skills given to boys. But now we are being given equal opportunities, and that has given us confidence and a future,” she said.

NAC’s Chiredzi district coordinator, Peter Nyakudya, said such interventions are changing mindsets across the district.

“Our programmes are reshaping attitudes towards the girl child. Dropouts and child marriages have gone down, and girls are completing secondary education in greater numbers than before,” he noted.

Beyond schools, DREAMS promotes resilience through community projects such as nutrition gardens, poultry, and goat rearing — ensuring families are better able to support their children.

At the same time, NAC is reaching another vulnerable group — sex workers — through its innovative Moonlight Clinics.

Launched in 2023 in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Child Care, the clinics bring health services directly to hotspots like beerhalls and nightclubs, operating at night when sex workers are most accessible.

Ngundu Clinic nurse Harurapwi Moyo said the model has been a breakthrough.

“We set up near clubs and beerhalls, and the response has been overwhelming. Sex workers come in numbers for HIV testing, STI screening, PrEP, and family planning. They now feel services are designed for them,” Moyo said.

For Ngundu-based sex worker Zorodzai Mutandadzi, the clinics have restored dignity.

“The Moonlight Clinics are a game changer. Since the project started, STI cases have drastically gone down. Everyone feels free to access treatment because the services are provided at night, when we are available,” she said.

Located along a major highway to South Africa — one of Zimbabwe’s HIV hotspots — Ngundu has long been a difficult area to reach. NAC believes interventions like Moonlight Clinics are essential to leaving no one behind in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

With DREAMS keeping girls in school, community projects improving livelihoods, and Moonlight Clinics breaking barriers to healthcare, NAC is doing more than HIV prevention. It is rewriting stories of vulnerability into stories of empowerment, resilience, and hope for Chiredzi and beyond.