ZimRights Empowers Gokwe North Communities to Take Charge of Their Rights
By Tapiwa Magaisa
ZimRights recently held a vibrant Community Interface Meeting in Ward 17 of Gokwe North, bringing together 30 local participants to confront the region’s most pressing human rights issues.
The meeting, held in partnership with the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC), was a bold step in our ongoing campaign to enhance civil and political rights across Zimbabwe.
The session empowered Nyatso, Kuwirira, and Makore villagers with advocacy tools under the DREAM approach – Documenting and Reporting Every Abuse and Mistreatment. Community members raised serious concerns, including child labour and corruption in the BEAM education scheme, water shortages, land grabs, and police corruption. Stories shared were deeply moving – like one mother’s fight for clean water for her children, or a farmer losing family land to politically connected actors.
Through this interface, ZimRights helped the community create action plans, from filing petitions and complaints to engaging state institutions. The ZHRC committed to investigating reported cases, giving participants hope that their voices matter.
This is how we build a human rights culture – one village, one voice, one action at a time.
