The Girls’ Legacy

The Girls’ Legacy was established in Zimbabwe in 2007 with the goal of eradicating gender-based violence and building the capacity of young women and girls through leadership development and mentoring. The organisation targets adolescent girls and young women aged 12 to 24. Its flagship programme, the DREAM project, aims to produce Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe (DREAMS) girls and young women. The organisation runs community clubs that are managed by trained mentors who oversee and facilitate activities. The clubs are aimed at promoting dialogue, study and sports and offer advice on sexual and reproductive health rights. STOP THE BUS is a mobile HIV and gender-based violence service that connects remote communities with service providers. The Girls’ Legacy runs several schemes aimed at girls’ economic empowerment to help young mothers and child brides set up income generating projects that will give them financial independence. The organisation has created a quarterly publication entitled “Letter to my Father” which gives girls a platform to talk about the experiences and issues that affect their daily life. The Girls’ Legacy is a grassroots organisation with good networking and advocacy that has directly reached 3,800 people. It is currently conducting research on the status of girls in Zimbabwe.