Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)
Two dozen girls gather in a tent in rural Zimbabwe. They are bringing back Nhanga, the local term for “girls’ bedroom”, an ancient traditional space once used to teach girls to obey their husbands. But now, girls are reinventing it as a movement to resist child marriage.
“This is a safe space; every girl feels free,” said 18-year-old Anita Razo, who joined at 14 and now mentors younger girls.
Rozaria Memorial Trust, a charity empowering rural girls and women, is behind the Nhanga revival. Sessions include practical skills like farming and soap making. They tackle topics such as gender bias that are usually not discussed in conservative homes.
One in three girls in Zimbabwe marries before 18, according to the UN Children’s Fund. Zimbabwe has outlawed child marriage, but poverty, slow enforcement and cultural customs keep it alive.
Many schools have adopted the Nhanga model, which has also spread to other countries.
