The Graça Machel Trust’s Pan-African Adolescent Girls’ Movement recently introduced a community outreach initiative–the Innovation Challenge–that enabled girls to identify key issues in their communities and design creative solutions with real impact. By collaborating with Womandla Foundation Trust and Errymaple High School in Zimbabwe, Future Lift Foundation and Break-through Centre in South Africa, and the Foundation for Adolescent Girls and Young People Zambia (FAPEZA) in Zambia, the Trust has advanced knowledge, confidence, and community engagement among young girls.
Three young women from these three countries answered a call to help solve problems in their communities and build a brighter future. Their journeys follow a simple path: they face challenges, learn new ways to overcome them, and come back ready to share what they have learned.
In Zimbabwe at Errymaple High School, young girls once lived in a world filled with silence around topics like sexual and reproductive health. A small group of them decided to change that by learning about their rights, building their confidence, and showing what it means to be a leader in their community. Their goal was not only to improve their own lives but also to bring positive change to those around them.
In South Africa’s Katlehong, a community meeting brought together adolescent girls, caregivers, and other community members to talk openly about teenage pregnancy. By sharing honest stories about the difficulties of being a teen parent, the group worked together to imagine a future where everyone could talk freely and support one another.
In Zambia, the Innovation Challenge took a different form. In Mtendere, a group of determined girls focused on the issue of school dropouts. They looked at the problems caused by early marriage, poverty, and low self-esteem and encouraged their peers to value education and return to school.
Before the challenge, the girls struggled with old problems. Across these regions, long-standing issues held back many adolescent girls. In Zimbabwe, a lack of clear information about sexual and reproductive health left many at risk. In South Africa, limited support for young parents and deep-rooted social stigma made the challenges of teenage pregnancy worse. In Zambia, school dropouts continued due to social and economic obstacles. These issues were not just statistics, they affected real lives. In communities where silence ruled, fear and misinformation took hold. Families, teachers, and the girls themselves felt the weight of missed opportunities and lost potential. The cost was seen in shattered dreams and a future that felt uncertain
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What connected these changes was a safe space where girls could share their experiences, learn from one another, and build support networks. Through practical workshops, open discussions, and mentoring, the challenge provided the tools and courage to overcome old limitations. This is the bridge built by the Trust’s Pan-African Adolescent Girls’ Movement working with the previously mentioned implementation partners in various countries on the continent.
Lighting the way forward
Through training sessions, discussions, and hands-on workshops, girls gained practical knowledge and built confidence to speak up and support one another. With guidance from mentors and community leaders, they overcame doubts, adapted to changing circumstances, and became role models. Today, their voices resonate across their communities: Zimbabwean girls champion their rights, South Africans hold open conversations about teenage pregnancy, and Zambians refocus on education. Their progress reminds us that when young people have the right support and tools, they can transform both their own futures and those of generations to come.
