GROW STRONG
TESTIMONIES
Taking GROW into Zimbabwe schools was not easy. God has paved a way for GROW to expand it’s tent to places like Chitungwiza City through working with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education(MoPSE) Health Expo initiative. Over 500 students and teachers benefited from GROW teachings and booklets on resilience and character building during a time when the country is struggling with alcohol and drug use among adolescents and young people. The GROW exhibition table was the busiest of all the tables with students and teachers asking for more GROW booklets. We ended up calling the booklets, “The Golden booklets”. All students said they liked the teaching using games as it enhances understanding. A student said, “I think we have had the best and exciting teaching ever with these games. This creative approach to education keeps us listening and wanting to learn more.”
Children on lifelong HIV medication often face stigma and discrimination worldwide. Adolescents and children with HIV present with depression, loneliness and trauma. GROW training has managed to provide resilience, character building and life skills training for this highly vulnerable group. The training uses group activities, games, songs, storytelling and Bible reading as critical tools for education. A GROW group leader said, “This training is different from our day to day message on drug adherence but strengthens our mindset to be stronger and happier in life despite our challenges.” Interaction with this group is opening doors for support with food packs from other partners as we connect them with the church. One adolescent summed it up by saying, “We have developed from depression and hopelessness to being positive, focused, and upright.”
Mhuriimwe Secondary school was the first school to accept GROW in Zimbabwe. The school GROW leader, Sr. Mugwagwa, is a passionate and focused school teacher. In April this year, the school selected its Prefects who will lead the school the whole year. The authorities made it compulsory for all the Prefects to attend a GROW training to build their resilience and strengthen their character. The school runs a GROW group that has transformed behaviors and lives of many students. Most of the GROW club members were selected to be among the school Prefects, a testimony that GROW was creating model students with good character and leadership skills. One Prefect said, “We are being shaped for the better, to become sharp tools to shape our colleagues at this school.” The Prefects agreed that GROW was transforming their lives for the better.
