Rescuws
Inspiring New Dignity and Hope
As a topic that’s typically taboo in many African cultures, menstrual health is often surrounded by stigmas and young girls have to bear the brunt of insufficient access to proper sanitary wear, silence and shame, absence from school, and a lack of support. Frequently referred to as period poverty, its physical and emotional impact affects girls in poor rural communities around the globe.
More than 70% of girls in rural Zimbabwe don’t have access to proper sanitary wear and resort to old rags, leaves, and cattle dung instead – and 62% miss school days due to this lack of hygiene products.
Dedicated and named in honour of Emelina Sipumise – a Malilangwe Trust employee whose own childhood experiences led her to become an advocate for the growth and success of young women – RESCUWS (Run Dedicated to Emelina Sipumise Unifying Women in Communities Through Sustainability) empowers Zimbabwean girls by providing them with sanitary products, and motivating them through education and messages of hope.
RESCUWS
CommunityConservation Partner
Malilangwe Trust
As custodians of the Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve in Zimbabwe, the Malilangwe Trust manages the conservation of this pristine wilderness – which comprises 38 different habitats and ecological zones in 115,000 acres of protected land.
After successfully introducing 28 black and 15 white rhinos to the reserve in 1998, it is now home to a globally significant population of both and the programme has been so successful that it is a source for restocking rhinos in other reserves on the continent.
The Trust has developed a blueprint for creating harmony between conservation initiatives and community development in villages that neighbour wildlife areas and ensured a sanctuary for a wide range of wildlife, including breeding herds of rare antelope species such as sable and roan.
An onsite Environmental Education Centre for school teachers and children allows them to immerse themselves in Outdoor Education and fieldwork, while the Trust’s nutrition programme provides 20,000 children with a fortifying meal before school every day in order to address increasing food insecurity in the region.
