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.
The advent of COVID-19 has prompted several measures by many governments across the globe to mitigate the spread of the virus. Bridget Mukuli, a female ECID Community Reporter, based in Siachilaba, Zimbabwe, shares some of the negative impacts of the early COVID-19 control measures on the economic well-being of women in Siachilaba, and calls for…
From Binga, Zimbabwe, Eliot Mugande, is a Community Reporter for the ECID Programme in Zimbabwe. He presents a chilling account of how COVID-19 has turned an otherwise happy home into one of sorrow due to the pandemic. Anna Siamwinga is a mother of 4 children. She lost her husband to COVID-19 last year in Bulawayo.…
Since the beginning of lockdown in March, the number of gender-based violence cases in my community has increased exponentially. At the start of the outbreak, many people lost their jobs due to widespread retrenchments. Food shortages followed in quick succession since most breadwinners were out of jobs and got stuck at home. Children are no…
Mutare City council is making an effort to make sure Dangamvura gets enough water supply. The largest high density suburb in Mutare has gone without water for more than 15 years. Now, a water project is underway to help address this problem. But, residents are cautiously optimistic about prospects of the ongoing project. This is…
In Ward 17 Hobhouse, Mutare, residents are at risk of water-borne diseases emanating from a sewer burst. The eruption, which occurred about two months ago between Matan and Mushamukadzi, has still not been attended to. Children in that area are exposed to diseases as they innocently play in the dirty water. Moreover, the sewage burst…
Access to clean water remains a pipedream for many residents of Dangamvura especially those residing in Gimboki. Women and children spend hours in long queues, at the two communal water points, to fill up a few containers. Altercations, shouting, and cursing is a daily ritual as people jostle for a chance to fill up their…
The right to health is guaranteed under section 76 of the national constitution of Zimbabwe. Yet, this right is not fully enjoyed by people living with disabilities (PWDs). According to Mr Dzveta, from Tariro Trust, an organization that advocates for the rights of PWDs in Mutare, people with disabilities are looking forward to a 2021…
Among the key protocols reported to be effective in the control of the spread of COVID-19 is frequent washing of hands with soap and under running water. Access to water among residents in Mutare, Zimbabwe, has been difficult in the midst of the pandemic. Prudence Sauriri, a female resident of the Mutare District in Zimbabwe,…
As the Covid-19 pandemic took over the world, we have been asking marginalised communities about how they were hearing about Covid-19, what they were hearing and what their perception was. This report shared by Virginia gives an insight into one elderly woman in rural Zimbabwe. Mbuya Mangezi is an elderly widow above the age of…
It was a quiet Monday morning and my day started slowly. I had just started work as a Community Engagement Officer on the ECID project with On Our Radar. From day one, I was fascinated by the nature of my job-working with reporters in the 4 districts of Zimbabwe – Binga, Mutasa, Lupane and Mutare.…
