Her Story
About Viola
I've been working in this field since 2018, and my journey began from a deeply personal place. Growing up in a society where women and girls were not included in decision-making and were secluded from participating in developmental sectors, I saw very few, if any, role models who were women who made it to the top. This inspired me to challenge the status quo and create opportunities for women to participate and take part equally with men. I founded Echoes of a Girl Child as a platform where we share our stories on how we can make the world a better place for each other. Since then, I've been driving this movement through various campaigns, partnerships, and workshops, all dedicated to raising women and girls' voices so they can speak out and speak up for themselves. I studied a bachelor's degree in development studies, which deepened my passion as I learned about working with communities and understanding how some rules are discriminatory in nature. To address one of my biggest challenges - making my brand and organization visible with limited resources and access to networks - I'm now pursuing a master's degree in marketing to integrate my community work background with marketing skills for better brand visibility. My work includes addressing critical issues like child marriages in Zimbabwe, running pad drives to alleviate period poverty, and implementing back-to-school campaigns to keep girls in school.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Viola
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice would be that for you to achieve something, you need to have dedication and you must do something that you're passionate about. When you say you're passionate about women and girls' empowerment, not everyone around you is going to support you because people will think there's some sort of personal violation that drives your passion. But sometimes it's not about that - you've seen something you want to change in the world, you want to see a better community. If you are called to save people, you have to do it wholeheartedly, because sometimes you're going to approach people and enter into different places that require you to go beyond to make sure that something is done. For example, in Zimbabwe there are a lot of child marriages that happen, and you have to stand and speak out against the oppressors, and sometimes the oppressors are the leaders. We depend on advice from them, on food handouts from them. Imagine you're speaking against a leader and you need food handouts for survival - you won't be able to get such benefits. But if you stand firm for what you believe, eventually the people around you will rally behind you and support you for a good cause. So my one advice would be, if you want to achieve something, don't give up, don't wake up, take them out to your goals.
02What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I value honesty, I value hard work, and I value resilience. These three core values guide everything I do, both professionally and personally.
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