Zimbabwe: Young boys and men’s wellness in norton

My name is Denzel Chipumha, an 18yearold from Katanga, Norton. I proudly serve as the Junior Mayor for Norton Town Council, leading an organization that is unique because it is driven entirely by children and young people. We advocate for wellness, gender balance, and safe spaces for boys and young men whose needs are often overlooked. 

In most communities, girls are rightly supported due to their vulnerability but boys are frequently forgotten. Their emotional needs are dismissed, and they are socialized to be “strong,” to never cry, and to never admit pain. In Norton, this harmful expectation created a silent crisis. 
Young boys and men were quietly suffering, struggling emotionally, and internalizing fear, trauma, and anxiety. Many were turning to harmful coping mechanisms. Some even contemplated suicide because they felt unheard, unseen and unimportant. Our organization was formed to change this reality. We believe boys are children too, deserving of care, support, and safe spaces to express themselves. 

Before our interventions, boys in Norton had no voice. They felt they were not allowed to be vulnerable. Many suffered emotional violence and fear in silence. The community believed that boys “must be strong,” even when they were breaking inside. This silence became dangerous young men were engaging in self harm, substance abuse, and risky behavior. They had no platform to express themselves and nowhere to go for help. 

Most organizations centered their work on the girl child, overlooking the fact that gender balance means supporting both girls and boys. Boys felt inferior, neglected and isolated. The transformation that followed has been overwhelmingly positive. Through our awareness expos held every two months, boys finally found a platform where they could speak openly. They were listened to without judgement. They were acknowledged as emotional beings who also need support, guidance, and protection. A powerful shift happened, Young boys started opening up about experiences of abuse, depression, and social pressure. They began to challenge the harmful belief that expressing pain is a sign of weakness. The Junior Council provided counselling, emotional support, and safe spaces for conversation. 

At Local Authority level, we saw a decline in suicide cases among boys and young men. This was one of our most encouraging signs of hope. Boys who once felt invisible started recognizing their value. They realized they deserved help just as much as anyone else. The Programme also helped boys understand that gender equality is not about girls overpowering boys, nor boys overpowering girls it is about respect, equality, and shared humanity. The change stemmed from strategic, youth led initiatives. 

Our bimonthly awareness expo created a structured platform to engage the community. The expos focused on emotional wellness, gender balance, and reducing stigma around boys expressing their emotions. We conducted community assessments led by the Junior Mayor’s office and strengthened our approach through engagement with Gender Links, who helped us understand the broader context of boys’ gender based needs. 

Before the Programme, boys were trapped in silence. After launching the initiative and holding multiple engagement activities, we recorded a significant number of gender based violence cases against boys and young men evidence that the Programme was finally reaching the right audience. This was not a sign of rising violence, but a sign that boys finally felt safe enough to speak up. The initiative shifted boys from suffering in silence to seeking support, from feeling unworthy to recognizing their rights as children. 

Denzel Chipumha, Zimbabwe