A Call to Learn and Unlearn.
Any person who opens any social media platform in any given week will come across a story of violence, trauma and suicide. It’s sad how children both boys and girls are resorting to suicide whenever they think things have gone wrong. The increase in divorce cases as highlighted by the 2025 Zimbabwe Demographic survey have worsened children vulnerability and mental health issues in Zimbabwe.
For men and women violence is increasing amongst them. Lack of conflict resolution skills, clear and affordable psych- social services have exacerbated the situation. Our everyday talk “munhu haafugure hapwa” have led many men, women and boys and girls to suffer in silence. For men statements like “murume haacheme” “Shinga ‘semunhu rume” have made men and boys to suffer and die with little if not no efforts to seek for help, what then happens is bottling of serious and painful issues of life. This disturbs the mental health status thus resulting in stress, depression or becoming more violent and aggressive.
It is sad to realise that our society has normalised violence and abuse and has a culture of underreporting and non-reporting of suspected or actual abuse. The common statements are vanhu vanozotii, and haisi nyaya yekumba kwangu OR ndinozogona kuimirira here kana ndikaitanga. Considering all this what then are we saying?
The Methodist church in Zimbabwe through the Safeguarding and gender office seeks to create safe spaces for all.
- We are saying don’t normalise abuse it’s not!
- You should not suffer alone.
- Speak out and find support.
- Help someone to find help.
- Dial on 08080551 OR 0773574341 OR just walk in at the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe District Connexional/ Circuit office for help.
- OR visit the Victim Friendly Unit of the Zimbabwe Republic police
#Break the Silence# Seek help #Report abuse
By Revd J. Paradza
