Our True Voice are the eyes and ears of the communities that drive the ECID programme.
They are our network of community reporters sharing first-hand accounts of the challenges and solutions of social exclusion.
Brian Damba, community reporter from Mutare reports on the gender divides in farming and the impact of Covid-19. A lady from my community reflects that in rural areas, during farming activities men and boys do the first job of land preparation and ploughing. However, women and girls are included during sowing. During weeding time, it…
As the Covid-19 pandemic spreads we asked marginalised communities about their experiences of Covid-19. Brian, from Mutare ward 17 shares a challenging account of his experience of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic at Dangamvura cemetery, Mutare in January 2021. In Mutare, Covid 19 has run rampant, and people are dying. Dangamvura cemetery is overwhelmed…
In many countries, the bigger focus of the coronavirus pandemic has been the protection of elderly members and those with underlying medical conditions. As seen globally, the elderly are more at risk of dying from the virus. But one challenge that many families are grappling with is isolation from older family members by those confirmed…
In most districts of Zimbabwe, a lot of girls have dropped out of school with some married off at an early age and others turning to commercial sex work to eke a living. This is mostly because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic which has worsened pre-existing inequalities. The vulnerability of young girls in particular, has…
Endemic within a pandemic: fears of diarrhoea in Mutare amid COVID-19
Monica Ibrahim is a trained community reporter on the ECID project in Jaba Local Government Area (LGA) and she has taken time to provide an insight into how the project has given voice to the voiceless at Fada ward through the Our True Voice project. The past six months have been difficult moments for the…
In November 2020, communities in Anambra West were hit by a devastating flood that affected over 20,000 people. Some of the most affected communities are those that share boundaries with Enugu state, including the riverine area of Igbakwu. This incident has resulted in severe hunger for affected families and communities because the flood had washed…
ECID Community Reporter Fatima Yakubu, based in Makarfi, shows commitment against gender-based violence by facilitating the arrest and subsequent prosecution and jailing of a rape culprit. Read a summary of Fatima’s heroinism below. Halima (not her real name) is a 15years old student of the Government Secondary School, Makarfi ward in Makarfi Local Government Area…
A basic principle of democracy is that citizens have a right to demand accountability from those leading in governance. Most often than not, when citizens could do so, services are not only improved but meet the needs of citizens. The ECID Programme supports citizens to have a much clearer understanding of their rights, feel more…
Our True Voice reporter Twinet Ncube shares an insight into a community meeting about taking part in decision making processes and how this helps her, as a woman with a disability, as well as others in her community, ensure their needs are heard and taken into account. Chimwara village 3, ward 25 today held a…
