On 12 and 13 March 2026, FAWEZI, with support from UNICEF, successfully rolled out the Youth Advocacy Guide and Tuseme Model trainings for both in-school and out-of-school adolescent girls in Chitungwiza and Chipinge districts under the RISE Project. The two-day initiative was designed to build the leadership and advocacy capacities of adolescent girls, positioning them as champions and peer educators in their schools and communities.

Empowering Girls Through Leadership and Advocacy

The training utilized interactive and participatory methodologies, including group discussions, scenario-based exercises, and advocacy skills-building activities. Participants were equipped to identify, analyze, and address critical social and academic barriers affecting adolescent girls, such as:

• Teenage pregnancy
• Child marriage
• Gender-based violence
• Poor menstrual health management

A strong emphasis was placed on the creative arts including theatre, poetry, and song as powerful tools for self-expression, awareness-raising, and influencing community norms.

Multi-Sectoral Stakeholder Participation

The sessions were attended by a diverse range of stakeholders, demonstrating a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach to adolescent girls’ empowerment and protection. Key participants included:

• Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE)
• Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC)
• Department of Social Development (DSD)
• National AIDS Council (NAC)
• Zimbabwe Republic Police Victim Friendly Unit
• Community leaders and school educators

Their engagement provided technical guidance, mentorship, and strategic oversight, reinforcing the link between adolescent girls and essential services.

Building Confidence, Decision-Making, and Advocacy Skills

The training adopted a mixed-methodology approach combining peer-to-peer learning with a cascade training model, enabling participants to:

• Strengthen confidence and assertiveness
• Enhance decision-making and problem-solving skills
• Translate challenges into practical, girl-led Community Action Plans

These action plans are intended for presentation to school authorities and local leadership, ensuring that girls’ voices are actively included in school and community decision-making.

Establishing Tuseme Advocacy Clubs

The initiative contributes to the establishment of Tuseme advocacy clubs in project schools, creating sustainable platforms for adolescent girls to engage in dialogue, share experiences, and lead community change. These clubs promote:

• Continuous mentorship and peer learning
• Strengthened linkages with health, education, and social services
• Nurturing of a generation of confident, empowered young women driving social change
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The RISE Tuseme trainings demonstrate FAWEZI’s commitment to holistic adolescent development, integrating leadership, advocacy, and creative expression into education. By equipping girls with knowledge, skills, and confidence, the initiative contributes to the creation of safe, supportive, and inclusive school environments, while promoting community-wide awareness on adolescent rights, health, and protection.

This multi-sectoral, girl-centered approach ensures that adolescent girls are not only beneficiaries of education and protection programs but active agents of change, ready to lead their peers and communities toward a more equitable future.