DREAMS Innovation Challenge (2017-18)

The Culture Fund’s Creative Arts Debunk Cultural Taboos in Zimbabwe | GIRLS CAN KNOW DECODE and ACT project was funded by a grant from the United States Department of State as part of the DREAMS Innovation Challenge, managed by JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI).

This project was successfully implemented and ended on the 31st of March 2019. Chenhaka Trust was a sub-grantee and it was responsible in crafting and undertaking advocacy campaigns to raise awareness in schools and communities, targeting adolescent’s boys and girls, young man and women. Chenhaka was also responsible in providing on-going engagement by girls and boys in schools, providing girls and boys in schools with appropriate information and referral for HIV services as appropriate.

It drove demand creation targeting 6,000 AGYW aged between 15 -24 years in the 6 DREAMS Zimbabwe districts of Mazowe, Gweru, Bulawayo, Mutare, Chipinge and Makoni over the 2 year period. The target beneficiaries were situated in communities with high HIV AIDS prevalence according to the DREAMS assessment and confirmed by the Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey 2015 (ZDHS) and the 2012 Zimbabwe Population Census results.

The intervention used creative arts to debunk cultural taboos inhibiting AGYW access to sexual reproductive health services (SRH). The Culture Fund programme created new imaginaries among the AGYW so they were motivated to seek services unfettered by the cultural barriers.

The programme provided evidence that creative arts and platforms unlock greater engagement and participation of AGYW in HIV interventions as Girls can Know, Decode and Act.  Ultimately the Culture Fund made a contribution to the overall target of reducing HIV prevalence among Adolescent Girls and Young Women.

The Culture Fund DREAMS IC programme received support from United States President’s Emergency Plan on AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through John Snow Inc. (JSI); under the broader 10 African Country programme, DREAMS Innovation Challenge. Culture Fund’s solution,

GIRLS CAN KNOW, DECODE, AND ACT