By Tsitsi Ndawana
Her name is Alphoncina Goronga, a Rural Assembly Member from Gutu District. She attended a transformational leadership training in her community Ward 19, Gutu which was done by Women in Land in Zimbabwe . The training made her realise the importance of women’s participation in decision making spaces especially in this era where women are faced with the climate change crisis. The training changed her understanding of political representation. She mastered the courage to be a representative of women rather than just occupying a position to count numbers. As the year was an election year, she also took part in an online training on feminist leadership. The training improved her confidence and helped build her assertiveness, through interacting with female leaders from other districts. She then realised the power within her and gained the understanding that she had the power to influence decisions for the advancement of women’s issues. During community meetings she began to confidently share her ideas which attracted the Chiefs attention, and the Chief eventually selected her to be part of the Chiefs Council committee representing her Ward. The chief was also part of the transformational leadership training and he wanted to implement some of the recommendations from the training since traditionally only males could be part of the chief’s council. The position gave her automatic entry into the committee selected by RWA leaders to be Environmental Management Committee members. From the Citizen Monitoring and advocacy training, she has started a campaign to remove all the gardens that were along the riverbank and moved three families that had settled along the banks of Dewure River. As a woman she gathered support from my fellow rural women who were experiencing water shortage downstream due to river siltation, and she sought permission from the chief to hold the village head who had settled these families along the riverbank accountable. As a woman advising the chief she also managed to advise the chief to ensure that in his ruling the family is compensated by the village head and that the whole community support this family in relocating rather than giving them a hush sentence as they were victims of corrupt traditional leadership. She is happy that she became a true guardian of the land, water, life and love by leading her community in watershed management, environmental protection and together with other rural women we have found our voice to protect our environment as well as take action to protect each other.
