Category: Features

We Want To Retire…Sex Workers Cry For Economic Empowerment Recognition

Healthtimes

NO matter how good one a dancer is, there comes a moment to leave the dance-floor.   Kudakwashe Pembere recently in Mash West Province There comes a time when one needs to throw in the towel. Even for the world’s oldest trade, (Sex Work) there is a point in life when the body needs to take a break. However, resting for the sake of resting without having an alternative source of income could lead to recidivism a scenario coined by sociologists to refer to a point when one, say an…

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To Or Not To Legalise Abortion, Zimbabwe’s Legal Dilemma

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ABORTION has been a contentious issue in Zimbabwe and the world over, with governments and civil society organisations clashing on numerous platforms over the morality, acceptability and legality of the practice. By Michael Gwarisa The United States government under the current Donald Trump administration does not support abortion, neither does it provide funding for organisations which support abortion. In Zimbabwe, not only is abortion taboo but is in most instances associated with loose morals and first degree murder as it involves the termination of a fetus (life) from its mother’s…

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How To Manage Your Body After Stroke

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A stroke happens when blood flow to a part of your brain is cut off. Without the oxygen in blood, brain cells start dying within minutes. By Belinda Pfende DID YOU KNOW that 1. According to WHO October 2017, Stroke is the 5th cause of death in Zimbabwe 2. 1 in 6 people will have a stroke in their lifetime 3. Stroke is responsible for more deaths annually than those attributed to AIDS, TB and MALARIA COMBINED 4. A stroke can happen to anyone at any age but in our…

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Of Sex Work and Dangerous , Illegal Abortions

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SEX work the world over, is tagged the oldest profession in the history of mankind, having manifested itself  in the most ancient and primitive societies, the trade was popular in ancient Egypt and Greece, where it was practiced at various socioeconomic levels. By Michael Gwarisa However, legalising the profession has been a contentious issue in Zimbabwe and most parts of the world including those which had once legalised the trade for example Thailand. In 2017, Thailand tourism minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul announced that she wants the country’s sex industry “gone.” Criminalising…

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Kadoma Health Scare…As Council Neglects SQ Residents

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“Young kids are exposed to sex at a very young age as they share a room with their parents and they watch everything….”   The chatter of kids playing, punctuated by the strong stench of sewage water flowing through the streets repulsively embraced us as we made our way into one of Zimbabwe’s oldest high density suburb of Rimuka in the Single Quarters (SQ) and the General Barracks (GB). By Michael Gwarisa recently in Kadoma A right turn from the main road into the  SQ and GB areas under Ward…

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Q&A: Unitaid looks to break down silos for better global health

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By Gloria Pallares GENEVA — The global health community is increasingly moving away from a siloed approach — favored in the height of the battle against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria — toward a more integrated methodology in the spirit of the Sustainable Development Goals. Unitaid, a Geneva-based organization that invests in new ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat the three pandemics, is one of the actors leading this paradigm shift alongside innovators from the private sector, governments, and donors. In April, Unitaid launched a call to improve fever diagnosis in children in…

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Demystifying Menstrual Cups…Even Virgins Can Use Them

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THE pricing of menstrual ware such as sanitary pads, tampons, pant liners among others has reached astronomical levels in Zimbabwe resulting in some vulnerable girls and women losing productive hours as they have to bunk school lessons and working hours. By Michael Gwarisa Owing to foreign currency shortages, sanitary ware manufactures are finding it difficult to import raw materials to manufacture pads amongst a host other stuff. A pack of 10 sanitary pads costs not less than $1 or $2 depending on where one would have bought them. However, did…

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Zim Female Prisons A Ticking HIV Time bomb

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…a single glove is inserted into more than 10 women’s privates to search for hidden objects …HIV in female prisons is more of a hygiene issue than it is sexual …Drug adherence a challenge due to stigma in prisons IT’S already been two years since Nkazana (not real name) left Chikurubi remand prison but gory memories and gustily images of her horrific experiences behind bars are still as clear and vivid as daylight. By Michael Gwarisa  Apart from the poor nutrition, living standards and social welfare issues inmates experience daily…

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Exclusive Interview With Crystal Meth Drug Addict

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…”Like I said before, I have taken all the other popular substances but I do not encourage first timers to smoke Mutoriro“ At a time when unemployment has reached alarming proportions, young people have devised plans to cushion themselves from reality and drug abuse is one of them. By Kudakwashe Pembere It’s no longer the usual, youths have ventured into some of the most treacherous ways of living and with the introduction new highly intoxicating drugs on the market, one can conclude that the future of Zimbabwe is certainly not…

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Specs Hotel: Kadoma’s Sodom and Gomorrah….As Married Women Invade Sex Work Market

Healthtimes

IT’s around 7:00 pm and life in the small mining town of Kadoma seem to  be gradually fading out as vendors and shop owners prepare to call it a day. By Michael Gwarisa Just as the traders are packing their stuff out from their trading stalls and makeshift shelters, shabbily dressed and dirty young men troop into the town’s most prominent food outlet Eat “N” Lick where they treat themselves to some Shawarma and chicken thighs. Across the corner, a few young ladies giggle uncontrollably just to attract attention of…

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