Dear Son,

#2018

Dear Son; that moment is around the corner and there isn't any question to it. It is coming again like it has always come.

Keep watch of those enemies;
Slyly drawing close to you,
they sharpen their tongues as a serpent,
with reserved poison of a viper
Jealousy stored beyond their juicy lips.
My son beware they are full of deadly poison to finish you.

Son...
these people you see;
They brew trouble and network iniquity .
Their thoughts are on what they can gain from you.
 You're either their handyman to perpetrate violence
or as the bait to fool your buddies
And they revoke their future
Thus invalidating what is right,
beware my son!

Beware of those who have waited long enough;
Longing to revenge,
It's just a personal fight my son
And this might be their best time to take action.
Caution is key,
That moment when yo give them an ear.

Beware of those hypocrites as they approach, they will appear to be men of the cloth;
yet beyond the rob is a mission scroll,
Scribbled plans to fulfill their personal needs, their bellies are their cause of interest . Beware they might blind you .

As we approach that time;
remember it's not every smile that approves your deeds,
It's good,
My son remember you're not Jesus,
You can't motivate their smiles as a whole
And neither are you pizza.

My son, account your self worth
and consider the value of life.
yes it is that time again
Like always, it shall pass anyway.
My son...
don't find yourself on the wrong side of the road,
Study your path and retain your vision.
My son, let them call you a betrayer or whatever names but you remain yourself,
this time should not change your personality, be yourself be who you are,
after all you don't lose anything.

Make it a goal to put a smile on someone's face
but beware of whom you dine with,
enemies are scattered everywhere like...
Give them no room to triumph over you.

My son!
There is a difference between democracy
And a republic lie
as we approach that time
beware you shall be victim to such.
Leave footprints of love and kindness wherever you go but always know your enemies are not happy.
As we approach that time discipline your tongue not to spit Vernon causing divisions.

My Son, we all have rights
but remember there is always that enemy hoping to infringe them .
Set an eye on them before they inflict harm.
Yes, you're smart
But don't only limit it to solving algebra and geometry,
calculate and solve your mathematics properly before it's too late .
We have counted 5 years more than 5 times , we have been there before.
Whatever step you take you're preparing your future.
Know your worthy and mind your actions as we approach the election time.

By Abel Mavura & Jurgen Troy Namupira

"Dislocation LEADS to Dysfunction"

According to the bible, Jesus parents attended a festival in Jerusalem every Year known as the feast of Passover at the age of 12, his parents attended this festival with

him in Jerusalem. When they were returning from the festival, he stayed in Jerusalem without his parents' knowledge. After traveling for A DAY, the parents noticed that he was not with them so they decided to go back to search him in Jerusalem.They found him after three days search. 
Just imagine at this time technology wasn’t yet available no any form of the announcement could be made on television, radio or mobile phone message. They, later on, found him, and it is said that he was in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding with his answers.’’ (Luke 2:46, NIV)

His parents both angry and amazed asked him:  Son why have you treated us like this？Your FATHER and I have been anxiously searching for you.’’ Luke 2:48 NIV

                                

As young as he was he gave an answer that shocked everyone who was around: he said,“Why were you searching for me?’’ He asked. Didn’t you know I had to be in my father’s house?” (Luke 2:49, NIV)  

Talking of spending time pursuing his vision in life, which he called his father’s business at the age of 12.  Jesus was not found playing soccer or (tsoro) at the playgrounds. He was with religious leaders not playing silly games or kids games but as a moderator in a discussion for three days and looked very comfortable.   

Every living thing has its kind of environment or place that will enable it to perform its specific function, I will give an example of a crocodile if you put a crocodile outside water it will not be able to attack the same way it attacks when it’s in water, same applies to fish, when you take fish out of water you have weakened it and it won’t be able to survive, it wiggles on the ground and dies.

What happens if you put a rabbit in the same water it will just drown to death what causes one to die it's what causes one to survive, water can cause a rabbit to die but it can cause a fish to survive. What am I trying to say here? We function best when we locate ourselves where we are best suited。

Let your aspirations influence the places you go. Are you dreaming of becoming a great soccer star? The simple art to realize this is you need to find yourself loving the football pitch, also following great footballers history , spend time reading magazines with their profiles, how they spend their time even with their families, this doesn’t necessary mean you are going to copy their style of living NO, but you need inspiration for you to create your style and unique way in the journey of pursuing your dream. Everyone has their place of vision fulfillment some belong to the football pitch to become great footballers, some to farming fields for them to become great farmers and so on. Find yourself at the right place that will activate your energy and enable you to realize your dream. TBC...

From the upcoming Book "The Art Of Realising Your Dream" Abel Mavura.

The Domestic Violence Act (Zimbabwe)

 The Domestic Violence Act (Zimbabwe)was promulgated in 2006 and gazetted in 2007. The Act was put in place to “make provision for the protection and relief of victims of domestic violence and to provide for matters connected with or incidental to the foregoing” (Zimbabwe 2006). Section 3 of the Act (Zimbabwe 2006, subsection 1) defines domestic violence as any unlawful act, omission or behavior which results in death or the direct infliction of physical, sexual, or mental injury to any complainant by a respondent and includes the following: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional, verbal and psychological abuse, economic abuse, intimidation, harassment, stalking, forcible entry into the complainant’s residence where the parties do not share the same residence, depriving the complainant or hindering the complainant from access to or a reasonable share of the use of the facilities associated with the complainant’s place of residence.

A victim of domestic violence may report the violence to a police officer, who, according to Section 5 of the Act (Zimbabwe 2006) advises the complainant of the right to apply for relief under the Act and the right to lodge a criminal complaint against the perpetrator. Where the police officer suspects that a crime has been committed, is being committed or is threatened, he or she may arrest the respondent without warrant. The victim or his or her representative may apply for an interim protection order or a protection order for relief from abuse. A protection order is a document that a magistrate signs and is aimed at protecting the complainant from serious or substantial harm or discomfort or inconvenience, whether physical, emotional or economic.

The Act was a major accomplishment that acknowledged the seriousness of violence against women in Zimbabwe. Prior to the establishment of the Act, there had not been any law in Zimbabwe that specifically addressed domestic violence (Osirim [2003] in Makahamadze, Isacco&Chireshe 2011:3; Tichagwa 1998:66). The enactment of the Domestic Violence Act implies that domestic violence is being taken as a public affair that requires public prosecution.

"Love is Caring"

“Documentation and Public dialogue an important route to address Violence against Women”

“Documentation and Public dialogue an important route to address Violence against Women”

Emmanuel Manyati

A short film 'MARGINALIZED WOMEN IN JEOPARDY' was screened at17:30 at the Alliance France in Harare during the Women Arts Festival (WAFEST) by Young Voices Network.

 The film by Emmanuel Manyati gives an account of the incredible gender-based atrocities experienced by women and girls in Hoyuyu Resettlement areas of Mutoko, the area breaks the record on rape cases and child marriages in Zimbabwe.In that film, a traditional chief openly draws a red line against gender equality.

Violence against women is an obstacle to the achievement of objectives of equality, development, and peace. It violates and impairs or nullifies the enjoyment by women of their human rights and fundamental freedom. The long-standing failure to protect and promote those rights and freedom in the case of violence against women is a matter of concern. 

Most cases of violence against women in Mutoko derives essentially from cultural patterns, in particular, the harmful effects of certain traditional or customary practices. Lack of or inadequate documentation and research on domestic violence, sexual harassment, and violence against women in private and in public, impede efforts to design specific intervention strategies. In addressing violence against women, governments and other actors should promote an active and visible policy of mainstreaming a gender perspective in all policies and programs so that before decisions are taken an analysis may be made of their effects on women and men, respectively. 

In an interview with this writer, Emanuel explains more about his short film and what pushed him to come up with this film. "Tradition should be a guide not a jailer", he said. Globally many countries are willing to change, having signed the 1979 UN Convention on the elimination of all forms of Discrimination against women and, more recently 2000, the UN millennium goal of empowering women and combating discrimination. Helping countries improve gender equality and ending violence against women is not only important but an international commitment as well. 

There is need to start investing in better information and high-quality data. Providing forums to reveal people's experiences with local customs and laws will have important effects, it will help improve the information that is available on the situation of women around the world. It is important to foster dialogue with the public to promote Gender Equality and address gender-based Violence.

By Abel Mavura

ICT For Girls And Women Empowerment

ICT For Girls And Women Empowerment

"Vision Commitment and Action for Young Women Empowerment"

||James Suriwiecki (2004) argued that it is often the case that the many are smarter than the few.||

 I had an interactive planning process to enable diverse of views from selected potential leaders of the Young Urban Women Project (Movement) Ghana a project by Action Aid Ghana, NORSAAC and The Ark Foundation which has 2000 young women selected from Greater Accra and Tamale the Northen Region. The Project is also being implemented in India and South Africa under the theme of "Young Women's Life choices and livelihoods in Poor Urban Areas"
Action Aid is currently implementing this project with a focus on young women's economic rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights in these cities. The research and experience gained through a baseline study that was conducted reaffirm the need for an integrated approach to working with young women.

The objectives of the meeting were to get the whole system in the room for vision, commitment, and Action, coming up with a strategic plan, identify opportunities, strengths, weaknesses, and threats of the movement.

I also managed to apply the Future Search Model to review the past experiences of the project since 2013 from different perspectives, we mapped the present and identified common ground and developed action plans for the Movement, the model helped us to identify the KEEPS, DROPS, PROUD and SORRIES of the project which will guide the movement on its work.

The young women contributed on the objectives of the movement, Aim, vision, areas of focus/ issues to be considered by the movement, Leadership and membership structures that they want for their movement, key thematic areas to be campaigned and advocated for with much emphasis on mainstreaming of HRBA since it encourages strategies that are empowering, monitoring and evaluation of programmes and using in synergy of both top-down and bottom approaches .
Their effective participation made the process easy to undertake, besides inspiring them I am also inspired.
It is important to note that forums for building capacities of young women to take leadership at the individual and collective level for economic and social empowerment are crucial to have a committed number of women to lead the way to change attitudes, behaviors, and policies around gender, violence against women, reproductive health and rights and leadership. BY ABEL MAVURA

A presentation on Group's purpose "Bashari"

Young Urban Women during group discussion on the Movement

Young women capturing views and contributions in groups for presentation

Abel Mavura and Young Urban Women Movement Leaders

Future search Model presentation by Abel Mavura