Two dozen girls gather in a tent in rural Zimbabwe. They are bringing back Nhanga, an ancient traditional space once used to teach girls to obey their husbands. But now, girls are remaking it as a way to resist child marriage.
“This is a safe space; every girl feels free,” 18-year-old Anita Razo said. She joined at 14 and now mentors younger girls.
Rozaria Memorial Trust is the charity 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 at home.
One in three girls in Zimbabwe marries before 18, according to the UN Children’s Fund. Zimbabwe has outlawed child marriage. But it still happens because of poverty and cultural customs. Also, the government cannot catch and stop every person who break the rules.
Many schools have tried the Nhanga way of empowering girls. It has also spread to other countries.
