Nyasha Sengayi
This month I am proud to introduce you to one of those
amazing young women, who work quietly without seeking attention or accolades, Nyasha.
I first became aware of 28 year old Nyasha as one of the young women who
visited the online portal Her Zimbabwe, a space where women come together to
share stories, to comment and give voice to their opinions on a myriad issues
that are part and parcel of the Zimbabwean Feminine experience. Nyasha was one
of those whose comments caught my attention because clearly she wore the
courage of her convictions very comfortably and she displayed a passion for
zero tolerance towards violence against women.
My assessment of Nyasha as a young woman who cared deeply
about the plight of women both in Zimbabwe and around the world was confirmed
when one day, she visited the One Billion Rising Zimbabwe page on Face Book, just
after the gang rape and mutilation of a Young Indian woman in December 2012. I blogged it here.
Her rage and pain at this atrocious crime jumped off her post on FB and in it
she stated that she had to do something.
“I have stopped crying and talking about Nirbhaya for
now; at least for the few days that I will be running around to fight for her
memory even in Zimbabwe. This is a promise to everyone who is upset about the
issue, I will not sleep until what I want to do is done with my other sisters
from other mothers. Watch this space. The time to stop talking has come. When I’m
done with success, I will sit down and cry for her and all the other women we
do not know about who have gone through similiar experiences....#Hope Alive
2013” December 29, 2012.
Well, I watched the space and sure enough, on January 4,
a memorial gathering for the deceased 23 year old medical student, organized by
Nyasha and some of her colleagues took place at the Embassy of India in Harare.
Here are some pictures.
The Indian Ambassador to Zimbabwe
Members of the Zimbabwe- Indian community
Nyasha at extreme left
Nyasha had become a regular visitor to the One Billion
Rising Zimbabwe Face Book page and while I had been keeping it alive from my computer in the
States, we desperately needed someone to start mobilizing on the ground.
Nyasha’s ability to make a decision, to create a plan of action and then to
execute was the reason I approached her and asked her if she would mobilize for
the OBR Campaign in Zimbabwe. We skyped and she shared her ideas for the Rising
and got to work immediately. Her creativity and wealth of ideas blew me away.From a road show, to spoken word and traditional dance, Nyasha encountered many obstacles as she tried to
get various groups involved. She was tenacious in her efforts and after hitting
many a brick wall, she found a few willing helpers and on February 14, 2013,
Zimbabwe had a Rising at the Zimbabwe Art Gallery in Harare. Here are some pictures.
Miss Nyasha giving opening remarks at the Zim Rising 2013
Done and dusted! And she walks on proud!
In March, Nyasha was invited to the American Embassy to
speak to a group about the issue of Violence against women in Zimbabwe.
She became involved in a campaign to find the rapists and
murderers of 10 year old Stacey Munjoma who had been found abandoned in a field in Harare.
Stacey was found in the banana field on left. Crowd on the right headed to burial place.
She and others availed themselves to the family to the deceased girl and held a memorial service for her also.
Mourners at the funeral carrying placards in protest
She and others availed themselves to the family to the deceased girl and held a memorial service for her also.
Since then, Nyasha continues to be vocal on the issue of
violence against women. She is an avid reader and eager student as she explores
and defines her role in the women’s movement and what her feminism is about.
She
is also the founder of Source International Zimbabwe, an organization that
seeks to create a global platform for women to resolve local challenges through
movement building. It was founded in October 2012 with the aim of scaling up
campaign- based programming for women’s rights and ultimately brings new and
relevant action to the cause. Source is inspired by responsive citizens who are
willing to stand against any form of violence against women
She has worked in the young women’s movement for the past
three years and has a passion in exploring global issues affecting women. Her
work is premised on opening space for effective Advocacy and Lobbing through
Visual Documentation and Campaign Based Programming on the general status of
Women in Zimbabwe.
She is also a writer and poet working on promoting the
participation of women in telling their own stories through writing.
This year, Nyasha is the regional coordinator for the One
Billion Rising for Justice, 2014. The focus of the campaign is justice for
victims of violence and what this means in the Zimbabwean context.
Personally I am moved by the depth of passion that Nyasha
has for ending violence against women and her commitment to giving voice to
issues that affect women in Zimbabwe. She displays amazing leadership
qualities, is creative in her problem solving strategies and gives of her time
and resources with a generosity that is simply astounding. She is one to watch
because I am confident that she will go far and will take other young women
along with her.
Nyasha was involved in mobilizing young Zimbabweans to register to vote in the July 2013 elections
Thank you Nyasha
for all you do despite the challenging environment in which you operate. Thank
you for being a fierce warrior woman, activist, spiritual being and role model.
I hope that all who read this blog will be inspired by you. If there is one
thing I associate with you it is your generosity of spirit, something I have
only ever encountered in a few. Here is
one of my favorite quotes from Nyasha:
This picture is evocative of the Nyasha I have come to know: generous. Sharing playtime with a friend.
“In practice, intimidation is much more dangerous than
physical violence. Who can set free an entire population of minds ridden with
fear?" Nyasha Sengayi
Go on Nyasha, kick some serious **s! the world awaits you !
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