True love or successful single life?
By Muringa Munyaradzi
In a true case of a journey of a thousand miles beginning with one step, a Gweru based Young lady, has launched a project aimed at transforming the lives of young girls and single women. Brenda Madondo single at thirty- four (34) is the co-founder of Generational Changers Girls Trust (GCG).
Big Sister Brenda as she is affectionately known says the organization seeks to create a cervical cancer free generation by the year 2057.Cervical cancer has been revealed as one of the prominent killer diseases amongst women worldwide. In Zimbabwe cervical cancer is the leading cause of death in women, among all cancers and ranked fourth in the world. “It is so disturbing that so many lives are lost yet cervical cancer can be prevented if there is enough awareness for our girls” said a concerned Big sister Brenda. Cervical cancer is a deadly silent killer preying on young ignorant girls. It is a sexually transmitted disease which has no symptoms and takes between five to twenty years to develop. All girls sexually active are at risk of contracting this disease. This is quite a scary revelation as young girls in schools and colleges indulging in multiple sexual relationships are unknowingly exposing themselves to the extremely dangerous Human Papilloma Virus [HPV] virus which causes cervical cancer. Brenda bemoaned the lack of this piece of important knowledge as most women are diagnosed in the early and late forties at the latest developments of the cancer. It indeed is indeed painfully and pitifully ironic that many young girls go to great lengths to protect themselves from HIV and feel safe with an uninfected partner ignorant of the dangerous silent predator which will pounce in their mature life when they desperately want and wish to settle down.
Perhaps the most intriguing element about Brenda’s vision is the belief that the life of young girls can be revolutionized by a change of the mindset. Though biased towards a cervical cancer free generation, GCG is working and targets to holistically transform the girls by initiating them in the “successful single living”. All single women and girls ought to know and understand that salvation, success and development does not come through men. Big sister Brenda reiterated the “ten pillars of life” for successful single life living, that is, educationally, emotionally, physically, economically, premarital, purposefully, socially, psychologically, spiritually, and benevolently. These pillars will ensure a balanced girl not an immature being likely to be affected by harsh social and economic conditions. For example according to Brenda a “balanced girl” must be educationally balanced, if not GCG wishes to inform the girl about the widespread pool of information at her disposal on the internet, YouTube and more where one can access education for free. Physically a girl must appreciate and love herself to deem herself beautiful enough not to be abused and used by men wantonly. It is from such a backdrop that girls and single women will be able to make right and meaningful decisions for themselves without fear or intimidation. According to Big sister Brenda, her research revealed that three quarters of problems faced in marriages emanate from girlhood in their single life and are simply dragged unsolved into marital life. “We therefore aim to empower a fully-fledged woman from all walks of life, from the school dropouts, girls in rural areas in fact every girl should be knowledgeable enough to do what they know is right for them even about their health and eventually we will get a cervical cancer free generation”, said the determined Big Sister.
Big sister Brenda has visited institutions like the National Science and Technology, Usher High School, Sandra Jones a shelter for girls all in Bulawayo. and has been a guest speaker on various platforms. She has also been conducting individual empowerment lectures. She however raised great concern over girls in rural areas whom she noted to be greatly disadvantaged with little or no choices at all hence exposing them to early or unwanted and unplanned marriages. To this she plans on having rural colleges where young girls are taught community and personal development. The Global Institute of Emotional Health has been partnering with GCG offering emotional health on issues like depressions and suicide. A psychologist named Sir. Moffat Machingura, who has won an award for being very influential to the Midlands state university. Sir Moffat has written the most widely read book in Zimbabwe called life Capsules, hence has also been very instrumental in giving psychological therapy to some of the girls It is Big sister Brenda’s wish to have the Ministry of Education roped in as most of the young girls are in schools where they need to be reached or have ambassadors in place for ready assistance. She also strongly believes that in ten years’ time GCG with the help of all those willing to create a cervical cancer free generation will be done with Zimbabwe and move regionally. Thus she invited all players targeting the betterment of the girl child to come together in full force and not compete amongst themselves but work tirelessly and diligently for an informed and healthy Zimbabwean girl.
As her last words Big Sister Brenda had this to say, “There is a 100% possibility that by 2057 we can have a cervical cancer free generation through successful single life Empowerment clinics. I invite people who are willing to be part and parcel of such a great vision to come and partner with us and create a cervical cancer free generation.”
