Rural communities in Mashonaland Central face a triple burden of HIV vulnerability, poor access to healthcare, and harmful health-seeking behaviors, often influenced by poverty, stigma, and religious or cultural beliefs. At No More Tears Zimbabwe, our Health & HIV Prevention thematic area seeks to close these gaps by delivering tailored, community-driven solutions.

Our HIV prevention strategy focuses on high-risk groups — including adolescent girls, young women, and orphaned children. We implement a multi-pronged approach that includes:

• HIV testing and linkage to care

• Condom promotion and distribution

• Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) referrals

• Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) awareness

• Community dialogues to address stigma and myths

• School-based HIV education sessions

• Peer-led risk reduction workshops

We also address Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) through training of caregivers, school health coordinators, and faith leaders on hygiene, safe caregiving practices, and sexual health.

Beyond HIV, we respond to broader rural health challenges by:

• Promoting maternal and child health services in collaboration with local clinics

• Increasing demand for family planning and safe delivery services

• Engaging religious sects that resist modern medicine through health dialogues and behavior change models

• Supporting girls with menstrual health kits and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) information

• Training community health promoters in early detection, referral, and follow-up for vulnerable households

Our health interventions align with Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) guidelines and are rooted in prevention, dignity, and the right to health for all, regardless of income, gender, or belief system.

Education is not just a human right — it is a pathway out of poverty, vulnerability, and exclusion. At No More Tears Zimbabwe, our Education Support thematic area is designed to ensure that the most disadvantaged children — especially girls, orphans, and those from child-headed households — are not left behind in their learning journey.

Our focus begins with school access and retention. Many children in rural Mashonaland Central drop out due to poverty, early marriage, disability, or child labor. We aim to remove these barriers by providing:

• School fees

• Uniforms

• Learning materials

• Sanitary products for adolescent girls

We prioritize children at risk of dropping out or those who have never been enrolled.

We also support community-led school re-enrollment campaigns, working with local school heads, School Development Committees (SDCs), and Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education officials to trace and reintegrate out-of-school children.

Beyond access, we focus on quality and safety. We promote safe school environments free from violence, bullying, and exploitation. Our trained child protection and education facilitators help schools integrate:

• Life skills

• Psychosocial support

• Safeguarding measures

into the classroom environment.

In the long term, we will establish community learning hubs for remedial learning and Early Childhood Development (ECD), especially in underserved and remote villages.

Our work is rooted in the belief that no child should be denied a future because of where they were born or the poverty they inherited.