OAFLAD Programme Offers Lifeline to Vulnerable Girls in Chipinge

An OAFLAD programme in Chipinge is supporting vulnerable girls and young mothers through cash stipends, health education and skills training (image source)

CHIPINGE — In a cramped room at Checheche Growth Point, 16-year-old Chipo nurses a nine-month-old baby while carrying a second pregnancy at five months. Her story reflects the harsh realities facing many vulnerable girls in Chipinge district, where poverty, early motherhood and limited options have driven some into transactional sex as a means of survival.

Chipo’s experience came to light during a media tour organised by the National Aids Council (NAC) in partnership with the Organisation of African First Ladies on Development (OAFLAD), led locally by First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa. The OAFLAD programme targets young mothers and women engaged in transactional sex, offering small cash stipends, health education and skills training aimed at reducing vulnerability and restoring dignity.

“I was a mess,” Chipo said. “I was into sex work to feed my baby and care for my sick mother. OAFLAD took me under their wing. They gave me hope and support and helped me see that I am worth fighting for.”

(image source)

Officials say Checheche has become a hotspot for risky survival strategies among adolescent girls, driven by economic hardship and limited access to education and livelihoods. NAC youth officer for Chipinge, Yolanda Gwizo, said poverty has pushed many girls into unsafe sexual relationships, contributing to high rates of teenage pregnancy and exposure to HIV and other infections.

Under the programme, beneficiaries receive a monthly cash transfer of US$10, alongside regular health education sessions focused on HIV prevention and reproductive health. The initiative also links participants to social services and works with traditional leaders, the Ministry of Health and Child Care, education authorities and the police to strengthen child protection and referral systems.

Another beneficiary, Privilege (15), said she became the main provider for her family after losing both parents. Transactional sex, she said, became a way to keep her younger siblings in school. “I never wanted this, but there was no one else to help us,” she said.

Community leaders and health officials welcomed the OAFLAD intervention but cautioned that short-term assistance must be complemented by sustainable economic solutions. Headman Zamuchiya called for expanded livelihood projects, improved access to reproductive health services and stronger school retention programmes to address the root causes of vulnerability.

Experts say broader youth empowerment initiatives, vocational training and family-level economic support will be critical to reducing reliance on transactional sex and protecting adolescent girls from exploitation. For beneficiaries like Chipo and Privilege, the programme has provided immediate relief and a tentative path toward stability, even as longer-term solutions remain essential.