Red Cross in SRHR drive

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Local humanitarian organisation Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS) has intensified its programming efforts for adolescents and young people.
ZRCS worked in partnership with the Sports and Recreation Commission for the 19th edition of the National Youth Games held in Gweru recently.

By Style Reporter

Local humanitarian organisation Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS) has intensified its programming efforts for adolescents and young people.

ZRCS recently launched its youth wing, which is called the Youth Development Department (YDD), whose youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health programmes are “aimed at having a society of empowered youths who are able to make informed decisions regarding their health”.

“With the support of the Danish Red Cross, we are running two youth-led projects, namely the Youth Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, which addresses sexual and gender-based violence and advocates for the girl child in menstrual hygiene issues; and the second being the Non-Communicable Disease project, which aims to have a resilient community of youths who are leading healthy lifestyles,” said YDD coordinator June Munyongani.

Sexual and reproductive health pertains to the state of physical, mental and social well-being in all matters related to the reproductive system.

Last week, the ZRCS in partnership with the Sport and Recreation Commission, Zimbabwe National Youth and Paralympic Games, hosted a youth conference under the theme #Every youth, every right where Munyongani highlighted the importance of sexual and reproductive health rights.

“Anything without the youth for the youth is against the youth, hence the need for key issues such as sexual and reproductive health rights to be discussed,” he said.

ZRCS humanitarian ambassador Alick Macheso graced the youth conference and highlighted the need to identify and nurture talent at a tender age.

“We are not all gifted academically, so those with sporting and artistic talents have an equal right to fulfil their potential within their chosen discipline of expertise,” Macheso said.

Meanwhile, in the run-up to the youth conference ZRCS worked in partnership with the Sports and Recreation Commission for the 19th edition of the National Youth Games which were held in Gweru.

The youth games ran under the theme; Enhancing peace, love, unity, podium performance and economic development through sport.