BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA
ABOUT 10 000 people in Shamva district, Mashonaland Central province, have benefited from an education awareness campaign on the Constitution, spearheaded by Helpline Zimbabwe Trust.
The campaign is running under the theme Enhancing Constitutional Awareness and Citizen Engagement on the Bills of Rights.
The countrywide educational campaign began in 2018 and is expected to be concluded by the end of this month.
Helpline Zimbabwe programmes manager Taurai Kadirire said: “This initiative sought to enhance awareness of the Constitution’s Bill of Rights and to stimulate citizen agency against constitutional rights violations. Strategies adopted to maximise impact include engaging and educating men as agents of change in a bid to create a supportive family, community and macro-level enabling environment that protects, reproduces and sustains a culture that upholds the rights of women and youth.”
He said the programme also saw villagers being enlightened about the recent Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No 2) Bill, adding that they reached out to 10 000 people through bulk text messaging in vernacular in 12 wards in Shamva.
“Community dialogues were used as platforms for community engagement with solution holders with regards to citizen participation and constitutional rights of women and young people,” Kadirire said.
“Mobile advocacy was also used to raise awareness of the Bill of Rights to a wider population in the 12 wards of Shamva district, while we used sports activities to engage with the youths.”
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He said local leadership, government ministries and civic society organisations were roped in during the campaign.
Zimbabwe adopted a people-driven Constitution in 2013. But a number of citizens, especially in the rural areas are still not conversant with its contents.
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