2019: A Year of Impact

G&N continued to grow in 2019. The organization increased its reach by partnering with a community member located in Winnipeg, Canada to provide girls affected by cyclone Idai in Zimbabwe. G&N also provided girls at Mukombami Primary School with menstrual pads.

2019 also brought with it the opportunity for G&N to test out a new fundraiser - Africa Day Festival which was held in Winnipeg Canada (where G&N is based) with the intent to connect the African community in Winnipeg and provide a platform for Africans in Winnipeg to discuss ways to give back to the community in Winnipeg and back on the African continent.

Provision of sanitary pads and menstrual health education (February 2019).

Grace & Nelly provided a total of 200 primary and secondary school girls in Mukombami with reusable sanitary pads; underwear; and soap. The heads of the school continue to indicate that very few female students miss school when they are on their periods.

Situational Analysis Report (August 2019)

Grace & Nelly sought and received the assistance of Donnelly Mwachi (Evidence Frontiers)  to conduct a community assessment of Mukombami. The intent was to better understand needs and gaps in the community so that Grace & Nelly has the information required to better serve the community. Mr. Mwachi spent one week in Mukombami learning about the community and people who live in Mukombami. A report detailing the findings was released in 2020 and is available on request.

The Report based on the situational analysis of the 14 rural communities which feed into Mukombami Primary School found:

• High rates of school absenteeism, with 32.3% of girls interviewed stating they had missed school due to menstrual reasons. 

• Child abuse, girl children in the community are at risk of being abused both by family members and those in the school environment. 

• Forced child marriage and early pregnancies, with the average of marriage estimated to be 17.

This gave G&N the information it needed to better tackle the issues in the community. G&N is determined to address the above issues one step at a time.

chimanimani

Assisting victims of Cyclone Idai (August 2019). Cyclone Idai caused massive devastation in Zimbabwe and neighbouring countries in March 2019. Many families and communities in areas such as Chimanimani in Zimbabwe were hardest hit by flooding and the destruction of homes, schools and roads. In August 2019, Grace & Nelly participated in a pads drive conducted by Waraidzo Chiyoka. Ms. Chiyoka raised money to purchase reusable pads for school-aged girls in the area. To assist her efforts, Grace & Nelly purchased 100 pairs of underwear which were distributed to girls along with the reusable pads.

AFRIFEST 2019 - Connecting Communities

G&N is based in Winnipeg, Manitoba and used Africa Day (May 25) as an opportunity to raise funds for G&N’s activities in Zimbabwe and bring together the African community in Winnipeg.

On May 25, 2019, G&N hosted Winnipeg’s inaugural Africa Day Festival. The Festival was attended by members of the public, including members of the immigrant community. The day’s events were opened by Uzoma Asagwara (now MLA for Manitoba’s Union Station) and included performances by local artists, including Nicolette (vocalist and musician), DJ Spazz (DJ), Tsungai Muvingi (poet and spoken word artist).  The event was intended to raise money for Grace & Nelly’s activities in Mukombami and raise awareness around menstrual health and menstrual rights. More on AfriFrest 2019 here.

Attendees had conversations around the theme of menstrual rights on the African continent and in Winnipeg.  Attendees also discussed menstrual rights issues that affected them including health-related issues.

AfriFest 2019 showcased the artwork of local Winnipeg artists of African descent, notably Ekene Maduka, Segun Olunde, and young artists at the University level looking for more exposure.