In a village surrounded by African bush, where it is 'normal' for men to have three wives and 15 children to call their own; a place entrapped in Tonga-tribe traditions, peppered with Catholic ideology, it is a wonder that women have any say at all. But after meeting women at the Kariyangwe Parish Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) group, Binga, I was thrilled to see that women are in fact fighting tradition. They are becoming more vocal, active ...

No sooner had I arrived in Zimbabwe had I realised how much tougher life is simply being a woman. There are many burdens faced by women in Zimbabwe, they are the breadwinners, they provide food and water for the family, collect firewood, take care of the children and the sick and are central to family life. But despite playing such a significant role in society, women are struggling. Inherent gender inequalities and unjust traditions mean women are being left be...

Communities empowered to stand alone… We had journeyed 100km through dirt tracks which dipped around fields of parched soil and homing grounds of large snakes. Leaving amber trails of dust behind, we edged deeper and deeper into the rural community of Kenilworth. We arrived at the Isineke Community Based Organisation (CBO) to be greeted by wide smiley faces, clustered together, waiting to tell us about their wonderful work. Isineke is an organisation which...

The streets of Harare… I have only been here for a few days but Zimbabwe has made a huge impression on me. People carry smiles with them on their way to work and take the time to say hello to strangers as they pass. The cars sweep through the streets in an orderly fashion and although there is an element of hustle and bustle, which you expect in a capital city, Harare has a calm disposition, a charm to it which is immediately settling. Trees line almost every ...

We arrived in Harare after 24 hours of travelling, a journey which on the surface seemed perfectly easy and worry free until I watched a Chinese couple spit chicken bones in a bag, cut their fingernails onto the floor beneath them, while sipping a brown liquid, with, what I can only describe as, worms floating in the bottom of it. Apart from that Dan and I arrived safe and sound to 25 degree heat, and a relatively easy customs desk. We watched as everyone in fr...