Region: Southern Africa

Munya (23) works as a street vendor, selling perfumes and deodorant in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. After his first-ever relationship broke up, he found out he was HIV-positive. It was thanks to Hivos that Munya was able to access testing and treatment. On World Aids Day, he overcomes his somewhat shy nature to tell us his personal…

The #HappyFlow Campaign recently presented a Call to Action for the provision of free sanitary pads in schools to members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum of young women activists from DRC, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Katswe, through the Pepeta Africa, a network of young women SRHR activists, recently presented a…

In Southern Africa, as in many parts of Africa, menstruation, which should be a sign of transition into womanhood, poses a threat to young girls’ development. Because menstruation is regarded as a taboo, and the cost of sanitary wear and towels is beyond the reach of many, young women and girls are forced to suffer…

The Chipendeke Micro Hydro scheme is located approximately 80 kilometers south of Mutare, Zimbabwe’s fourth largest capital city. It provides a compelling example of how building the renewable energy value chain is essential to providing sustainable, renewable energy access to a remote, rural area. (A ‘value chain’ is the whole series of activities that create and…

The #HappyFlow campaign is lobbying for free sanitary wear to be distributed in public schools and public spaces in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. The campaign is premised on the idea that sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) matter, therefore every human who experiences menstruation has a right to sanitary wear. Katswe Sistahood,…

The age of consent in terms of accessing sexual reproductive health (SRH) services such as contraceptives and HIV counselling and testing is not provided for in laws and policies in the majority of countries in Southern Africa. This has created barriers for young people to access SHR services. To address this critical barrier preventing youth…

Sanitary wear is considered a luxury item that is often sold at prohibitive prices for the majority of girls and women living in Southern Africa. As a result, girls who are menstruating are reluctant to go to school if they cannot afford sanitary pads or may engage in transactional sex to pay for them. Many…

Hivos Southern Africa in partnership with Practical Action and Zimbabwe Environmental Regional Organisation (ZERO) recently organised a learning tour to a community energy project in the Eastern Highlands, Zimbabwe. The community outreach exposed Hivos’ partners under the Green and Inclusive Energy (GIE) programme, journalists and creatives to the successes and challenges that face community-based renewable energy projects. The…

The Chitoro river – vital in supplying water that powers the Chipendeke Micro Hydro Scheme in this remote, rural village in eastern Zimbabwe – is in a sorry state, to put it bluntly. It is filled with sand, a deteriorating ecosystem and only a trickle of water seeping from its riverbed. For the past two…

Hivos Southern Africa is currently spearheading a regional advocacy campaign on safe abortion in partnership with Students and Youth Working on reproductive Health Action Team (SAYWHAT). SAYWHAT facilitates students and youth to discuss sexual and reproductive health challenges and further develop advocacy initiatives. Funding for the project is provided through the Hivos Southern Africa Sexual…