mbulelo smpofu
Nqobile Tshili, nqobile.tshili@chronicle.co.zw
FOR Zimpapers journalist Mkhululi Ncube, working in the media industry has positioned him at the forefront of understanding societal challenges. Through his journalistic endeavours, he has amplified the voices of those who cannot speak out for themselves. Ncube firmly believes that the media is a powerful transformative tool for development and can also address societal ills.
While he reports on various sections of society, he has taken a keen interest in rural reporting thereby connecting with the most vulnerable members of the community. Having grown up in Gwambe in Bulilima, Ncube is well-acquainted with the challenges that girls face, particularly regarding access to sanitary wear. He has seen girls missing classes due to their menstrual cycles.
During the course of the year, Ncube decided to go beyond just reporting on the challenges experienced by girls. He took further steps by starting a campaign to provide 40 girls with sanitary pads for the whole year. This initiative is part of his 40th birthday celebration, which he marked on December 20.
“I came up with the idea around June this year as I reflected on my life. I’m turning 40 this year. It has become a norm that people celebrate mostly their 21st birthday and 40th ones. As they say, life begins at 40, so I wanted to be impactful on my birthday as opposed to just thinking about myself.
“Most of the time, when it’s time to celebrate birthdays, the focus is always on the person having a birthday, and we shower them with gifts. This year I told myself that I wanted something unique hence I thought of doing something that could change some people’s lives,” said Ncube.
He said his campaign is aimed at inspiring others to also make a difference in their communities. Ncube’s New Year’s wish is to see girls not being restricted by a natural cause in accessing education.
“My dream is to assist 40 girls from poor families to have adequate sanitary pads for the whole of 2025 so that they never stress about pads. I want them to focus on their studies. In rural areas, there are many factors which hinder learners from getting a good education compared to their counterparts in urban areas and lack of sanitary wear is one of them,” said Ncube.
He said he will be donating the sanitary wear to pupils from Gwambe Secondary School in Bulilima, with the learning institution expected to select the beneficiaries. Ncube said ultimately his campaign aims to have more sponsors who can even adopt schools as opposed to just targeting 40 learners.
“We know that the Government has a budget for sanitary wear in schools but sometimes funds are not released on time. So in the meantime, we can also make a difference as a community,” said Ncube.
He said his campaign has attracted support from locals and Zimbabweans based in the diaspora.
“When it started, I was afraid it could fail, but the response has been amazing. We have raised 93 packs of pads plus around US$200 and I am still collecting. A number of my friends based in South Africa are bringing their contributions as they return home for the festive season. I’m happy to say a good number of men have supported the initiative, including pastors, police, journalists and health professionals, among others,” said Ncube.
Some of those who have supported the programme are based in Harare while others are in the United Kingdom. One of the drivers for the sanitary wear programme is that no donation is too little.
Ncube said he is still receiving donations and those who want to contribute to his campaign can contact him on +263714207195 or drop their donation at the Chronicle offices. – @nqotshili
