Rusape Girls Empowerment Village

This project is based on the premise that the "rural girl can reach greater heights if she is brought in close contact with technology." Using technology, the project hopes to address issues related to:

• exploitation of rural girls as a source of cheap labour in urban areas, cities, and farming communities
• sexual harassment and abuse of rural girls
• poverty leading to exploitation
• early pregnancies and marriages
• cultural practices such as genital mutilation and virginity testing
• physical, economic, and emotional violence perpetrated by parents and bullies
• psychological torture through forced marriages
• hostile school environments where teachers perpetrate sexual violence
• victimisation by local leaders and people in influential positions.

Specifically, girls are provided with 3 months of training on the use of email and the Internet. The village has a computer lab with a photocopier, email access, and an Internet-connected computer. The girls produce brochures and referral materials there. "They have been motivated and greatly inspired by this development and also the latest information on HIV/AIDS has been very helpful. The girls have started the pen pal programme which has linked them with other girls for information exhange."

Other Empowerment Village programmes include:

• Confidential crisis intervention, counselling, and resource referrals to girls in high risk situations including abuse, neglect, and homelessness.
• Information volunteers at the village find and access essential human services. They assess each girl's situation and needs and try to identify resources that are affordable, accessible, and geographically convenient. "No problem is too small, too big or too shocking for the volunteers."
• Provision of prevention, education, advocacy, and support
• Women As Role Models Museum of Achievements - provides books and videos on subjects about breaking through in male dominated fields. This is accomplished through listening to women who have made it to the top. Girls can also go read through their profiles and make arrangements to meet with them.
• Provision of practical, useful information designed to enable girls to help themselves.
• Facilitation of education and outreach by gathering, clarifying, and simplifying information and resources.

Gender, Technology, Girls, Rights.

The Empowerment Village has been set up to contribute to the development of rural girls by influencing government, NGOs, CSOs, and all stakeholder communities to implement empowerment programmes through information dissemination and networking supported by information sharing to benefit disadvantaged girls.