Zimbabwe :A young leader shaping the future of Beitbridge

As a Junior Councillor, my role is to represent young people in local governance, ensuring our voices influence decision‑making processes, service delivery, and community development.

Beitbridge is a growing border town, but despite this progress, local youth—especially girls—face significant barriers. Teenage pregnancies and child marriages push many girls out of school, limiting their educational and economic futures. At the same time, the community battles environmental degradation, climate change effects, waste‑management challenges, and a lack of youth participation in sustainable development.

What makes my work unique is that I advocate for young people from within the local municipal structure. My position allows youth voices to influence gender equality initiatives, climate action, and critical development discussions. The most affected groups are adolescent girls and young people living in high‑risk communities where poverty, lack of information, and limited empowerment reduce their opportunities to thrive.

The initiative arose from the need to strengthen youth participation, keep girls in school, reduce early marriages, and build a youth‑led movement promoting environmental responsibility and sustainable livelihoods.

The Change: A Community Beginning to Transform

The change we have witnessed has been deeply positive. Through youth‑led awareness campaigns, school outreaches, and close engagement with local leaders, awareness on the dangers of teenage pregnancy and child marriage has significantly increased. Conversations that communities once avoided are now happening openly among parents, teachers, traditional leaders, and young people.

More girls are now empowered to report abuse and speak out for their rights. Several who had dropped out of school because of pregnancy or early marriage have been encouraged and supported to return to school or join vocational training. This shift is restoring hope and access to education for many girls.

Environmental action has also gained momentum. Clean‑up campaigns have reduced litter and sparked community awareness on climate change, pollution, and waste management. Tree‑planting initiatives and school‑based environmental projects have inspired youth to take responsibility for the spaces they live in.

Young people—once seen as passive observers—are now recognised as change‑makers. The municipality increasingly includes youth perspectives in development discussions, demonstrating that when young people are given a platform, meaningful transformation is not only possible but inevitable.

How the Change Happened

Addressing teenage pregnancies, child marriages, and environmental degradation required structured, youth‑led interventions. Working with fellow Junior Councillors, we implemented a series of activities that directly engaged communities across Beitbridge.

1. Roadshows Across Wards

We conducted awareness roadshows in multiple wards using drama, testimonies, and open dialogue. These methods made the message accessible to all ages and encouraged community acceptance. Parents and leaders began to acknowledge the urgency of keeping girls in school.

2. School‑Based Outreach

We visited schools to speak directly with learners about the importance of education, the risks of early relationships, and the impact of child marriage. These sessions were interactive and relatable, helping students understand their rights.

3. Clean‑Up Campaigns

To combat pollution and poor waste management, we organised several clean‑up campaigns involving hundreds of young people. These activities not only beautified the environment but also educated communities about climate change and sustainable waste disposal.

4. Environmental Clubs in Schools

We established Environmental Risk Management Clubs in various schools. These student‑led structures empower young people to spearhead environmental protection, climate adaptation education, and peer learning on sustainability.

5. Strengthening Youth Advocacy

We held meetings with Junior Councillors from other wards to unify our voice and strengthen collaboration on issues such as girls’ education, youth empowerment, and climate stewardship.

6. Community Dialogues and Radio Engagement

We hosted community dialogues addressing the causes and solutions to teenage pregnancy and child marriage. Through radio talk shows, we extended the reach of our message to remote areas—ensuring no community was left behind.

The community’s response was overwhelmingly positive. More schools joined the movement, and young people began spreading the message on social media and in school assemblies. A culture of youth‑led advocacy began to take root in Beitbridge.

Sustaining and Scaling Up the Change

Sustainability has been built into every stage of the initiative. The Junior Council remains an active and recognised structure under the municipality, ensuring consistent youth participation in governance. Leadership training and mentorship ensure continuity as new Junior Councillors are elected each year.

Environmental clubs formed in schools will continue as permanent structures, supported by teachers and local authorities. These clubs will run ongoing clean‑ups, awareness sessions, and environmental projects.

To scale up the initiative, we plan to:

• expand roadshows and workshops into more vulnerable rural communities
• broaden radio and media outreach
• train peer educators and ambassadors across churches, schools, and community groups
• advocate for stronger municipal by‑laws to protect girls from child marriage
• ensure youth inclusion in environmental and development decision‑making

Community ownership and youth enthusiasm make this movement self‑driven and ready for broader expansion.

Evidence of Change

We have strong evidence demonstrating the impact of our initiatives:

• Photographs from community clean‑up campaigns showing active youth involvement.
• Images of Environmental Club sessions led by Junior Councillors, demonstrating school participation.
• Videos of mentorship sessions with girls, encouraging them to avoid early marriage and focus on education.
• Photographs of roadshows where messages against child marriage and teenage pregnancy were delivered in public spaces.
• Radio talk‑show recordings and images showing youth voices reaching district‑wide audiences.

These materials collectively show a community that is learning, participating, and transforming.

A Youth‑Led Movement Shaping Beitbridge’s Future

The story of Beitbridge is one of young people stepping forward to rewrite their community’s future. Through leadership, collaboration, and determination, Felstar Ngulube and the Junior Council have shown that youth voices can move structures, shift norms, and drive sustainable, gender‑responsive development.

This is not just a story of change —
it is the story of a new generation leading with vision, courage, and purpose.

By: Felstar Ngulube

Link to the video