Zimbabwean caregivers have a powerful new ally in raising healthy children following the launch of Rerai Umntwana by the Ministry of Health and Child Care, an innovative parenting application designed to provide families across the country with reliable, expert guidance on child health, safety, and development.
With funding and support from UNICEF and the Government of Japan, the launch comes at a critical time for child wellbeing in Zimbabwe. Nearly one in four children under five is stunted—failing to grow and develop to their full potential—while 4.3% suffer from life-threatening wasting. At the same time, rising digital connectivity presents caregivers with a new challenge: navigating an overwhelming mix of accurate information and harmful misinformation about children’s health and development.
Rerai Umntwana addresses this gap by delivering credible, verifiable, evidence-based guidance from local and international experts in one trusted digital space. The app covers essential topics, including child nutrition, immunisation, pregnancy and breastfeeding, developmental milestones, child protection, and the importance of positive parenting—truly putting parenting support in caregivers’ pockets.
The name Rerai Umntwana—a blend of Shona and Ndebele meaning “Nurture the Child”—reflects Zimbabwe’s rich cultural diversity and social parenting norms. The application has been designed to complement and strengthen existing facility-based and community-based health interventions by reinforcing consistent, practical messages within the home.
In addition to supporting parents and caregivers, the app serves as a valuable tool for frontline health workers and community volunteers, ensuring that guidance delivered in clinics and communities is consistently reinforced at household level.
Etona Ekole, the UNICEF Zimbabwe Representative, said:
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“Rerai Umntwana is a strong example of how Government leadership, strategic partnerships and digital innovation can come together to deliver results for children. By supporting the Ministry of Health and Child Care to provide caregivers with trusted, evidence-based information, we are strengthening national systems, countering misinformation and advancing Zimbabwe’s priorities for child survival, nutrition and early childhood development—ensuring that every child has the best possible start in life.”
Developed through a collaborative process involving health and child development experts and funded by the Government of Japan, Rerai Umntwana reflects global best practices while aligning with Zimbabwe’s national policies on maternal, newborn, and child health.
The application is available on Google Play and the App Store. Once downloaded, it is accessible offline, user-friendly, and designed to reach caregivers regardless of literacy level or location. Users can switch between English, Shona, and Ndebele to suit their preferences.
As Zimbabwe advances digital innovation across the health and social sectors, the launch of Rerai Umntwana marks a significant milestone in strengthening support systems for families nationwide. By leveraging technology to expand access to accurate, timely parenting information, the country moves closer to ensuring that every child grows up healthy, protected, and ready to learn.
The initiative also aligns with Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy 2, which prioritizes expanding ICT access to bridge the urban-rural digital divide and accelerate digital transformation in essential services.
All stakeholders—including caregivers, health workers, mobile network operators, and development partners—are encouraged to adopt and promote Rerai Umntwana as a vital national resource for improving child health and parental wellbeing, ensuring that no one and no place is left behind.