Ward 20 Councillor bemoans early marriages and school drop outs in Chibuwe.

Speaking at a Family Fun Day in Chibuwe organised by Platform for Youth and Community Development (PYCD) on the 5th of December 2019, Councillor Charles Mugidho Mahlonga bemoans the rising cases of early marriages in Chibuwe.

" The fun day is happening alongside the commemoration of 16 days of activism against Gender based violence and I am here to express my concern on early marriages; children as young as 12 years are getting married .The children are running into marriage instead of focusing on education" Councillor Mugidho said.

Councillor Mugidho has been working with community stakeholders in denouncing child pledging and other forms of child marriages. However, there have been worrisome cases of children being involved in child pledging due to adequate and effective awareness on harmful cultural practices. Most children in the community are exposed to irresponsible men

" We have agreed with the traditional leadership to denounce child pledging but it's shocking to see the children we are protecting getting married .At Chibuwe high I have received reports of girls who have dropped out of school " He added.

PYCD was commended on its role in denouncing harmful cultural practices through various activities in ward 20 that included awareness and a stakeholder approach to the human and wildlife conflict.

The Family Fun Day was held to interface with the victims and survivors of cyclone Idai disaster which caused untold damage in Chipinge and Chimanimani. The tropical cyclone Idai, a natural disaster that hit Chimanimani and Chipinge districts in March 2019, caused flooding and left a trail of destruction. Chibuwe was one of the most affected areas in Chipinge district, with Chibuwe Primary School losing a block of toilets that was serving the more than 2000 learners at the school. The tropical cyclone Idai was intricately linked to the concept of social vulnerability and it disrupted the social functioning of people by destroying the common forms of survival such as food security, health, education and other related aspects of humanity in the community.

The Family Fun Day at Chibuwe Primary School acted as a way to bring people in the community together through cultural events and various activities that offer psycho – social support.