Women & Volunteerism

Women as Health Heroes

In Gokwe North, a region where clinics can be a full day's walk away, women volunteers have become the bridge between families and healthcare. Through the Saving Lives and Livelihoods initiative, 66 village health workers 35 of them women were trained to go door to door, sharing health information and helping families access vaccinations.

Letticia Marindo is one of these volunteers. She walks for hours under the hot sun to reach remote homes. "Some homes are far," she says. "Sometimes we walk for hours. But when I see a child come for immunisation because I visited that family, I know the journey was worth it." 

Senzeni, another village health worker, puts it simply: "My steps can save a life." 

These women do not receive full salaries. They volunteer because they care and their impact is measurable, through their efforts, over 16,000 people received health information, and more than 4,000 accessed vaccination services.

Women Building Economic Independence

Across Zimbabwe, women are also volunteering their time to help each other escape poverty. In Gweru, Councillor Precious Mujere started a women's credit club with a simple idea: each woman would contribute just US$5 . What began with 22 members has become a powerful movement.

The club members decided to help the most vulnerable first—two women who were commercial sex workers. They received startup loans to begin small businesses. Today, both women have left sex work entirely. They now run stable businesses and live with dignity.

Brenda Mutunami, one of the women transformed by the club, shares this powerful truth: "Economic health yields physical health." 

In Hwedza, a group called "Women of No Worry" formed in 2023 . These women, many of whom could not afford school fees for their children, came together to change their situation. They received training in Village Savings and Lending from SOS Children's Villages. Then they pooled their resources and bought 28 goats. Today, their herd has grown to 31, and the women have found new confidence.

Dzosai Matizanadzo, the group's chairlady, remembers how things used to be: "We were nothing. We could not afford school fees for our children, and some of us could not have proper and enough housing."  Now, she says proudly, they have hope.

Women Leading in Their Communities

In Zvimba, Councillor Denicah Makota has worked for years to empower women in her community . She organized Village Business Units and savings groups so women could earn income and pay school fees. She pushed for training in smart agriculture to help families grow food despite drought.

The change has been remarkable. Women who were once silent now speak boldly at community meetings. Girls stay in school longer. Families eat better and when women began taking leadership roles in water committees and school boards, men noticed. One community member, Daina Mushayavanhu, put it this way: "A woman with a voice is a woman who can make a difference." 

Remember Shumba, a young person attending a community event, captured the new spirit: "The question is not who is going to let me, but who is going to stop me." 

Women Baking Their Way to a Better Future

In Chitungwiza, 30 women meet twice a week to bake buns. They are part of Divine Grace Bakery, started with support from United Women in Faith . The women learned to bake, then decided to focus on sweet rolls that are popular with schoolchildren. Each day they bake 18 trays of 50 buns, selling eight for $1. People line up to buy them.

Priscilla Kuture, over 70 years old and living alone, says the project has changed her life. "Sometimes people will be knocking at our doors wanting to buy the buns. This project has helped me a lot; we are so happy and working hard and it's keeping us busy." 

Another baker, Lydia Dumbwizi, also 70, uses her income to feed her grandchildren. The women are saving money from sales to buy their own gas stoves, so each can bake at home.

Women Helping Women Across All Communities

The Indian Women's Association in Zimbabwe, made up of 60 women, has been involved in charity work since 1995. They donate goods to orphanages, rehabilitation centers, and old people's homes. Their president, Shraddha Prajapati, explains their motivation simply: "The Indian Women's Association is made up of mothers, and therefore it is natural for them to reach out to children, women, and elderly people." 

This spirit of giving crosses all boundaries. Rosa Care Organisation, a women led group in Zimbabwe, supports orphans, people with disabilities, and vulnerable adults. They began as volunteers and now reach over 500 people each month . As their partners at Communities for Nature say: "Where women lead, change lasts."