This is a story of G, an 18 year-old woman who lived in Hopley with her parents. Hopley is one of Harare’s densely populated communities with residents coming from various parts of the country to seek better livelihoods close to the capital city.

It is not easy to get basic needs and at the age of thirteen I found myself selling sex, dropping out of school, being involved in petty theft.

I got to know about the importance of reporting rape within 72 hours when an ARC outreach campaign was conducted in Hopley where I reside. This is how I learned that I was groomed into normalising abuse by older men to help my parents sustain a livelihood.

I made my way to Parirenyatwa Hospital the following morning. I have since received ARC services including treatment of a recurring STI and … support group sessions.

I have enrolled as a Sexual Health Advocate (SHA) at ARC, to encourage other girls in my community to stay away from risky sexual behaviour….If I can reach one person a day, I would have done my part to prevent one more effect of sexual violence.”

After being serially raped by an older man while at university, C found ARC’s services:

“I had quit school, stopped eating, and developed insomnia. At that time, I had to postpone classes because of depression.

“I came to ARC and began psychotherapy to treat depression, anger management, sleepless nights, headaches, and eating disorders. The sessions were very intense as I had a lot of issues that needed constant somatic therapy.

“We did 16 sessions and then I started doing so well on my own… My ability to communicate with others was enhanced because support groups were often with people I could relate to. The trauma-release sessions largely contributed to the elimination of constant headaches.

“I was able to enrol again at university and wrote exams well. Since that time, I’ve started a club to help survivors struggling with depression.”

ARC works with the Zimbabwe Republic Police Victim Friendly Unit, giving sensitisation training and partnering with the police to provide a medical affidavit that is used in court. G was a thirteen-year-old girl who was raped while trying to find her way home from town.

I had trouble finding a way to get home. Whilst waiting for a mushika-shika (shared taxis) I started picking some guavas from a nearby tree when a man stopped his car and asked what I was doing there alone. I told him I had been waiting for more than an hour and I was trying to get home. He said he could help me and I got in the car.

The perpetrator led me to an isolated bushy area where he raped me once. After the act, we were approached by a police officer on patrol who inquired what we were doing in a secluded place. The perpetrator had told me to lie that I was 17 and that he was my brother and threatened to kill me if I didn’t.

Nevertheless, I gave signals to the police that we were not together. Thankfully the officer picked up on me. The officer then thoroughly asked.

A lot of questions until I disclosed that I was 13 years old and the man I was with was a complete stranger and that he had just raped me. The perpetrator was apprehended and I was rushed to ARC at Parirenyatwa Hospital immediately for treatment and medical examination.”

Marital rape is a controversial topic in Zimbabwe due to the lack of a law that explicitly criminalises the offence. The Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, however, clarifies that a relationship between the complainant and the accused is not a defence.

A 23 year-old married woman discovered that her husband had a positive HIV test in 2019. He had not disclosed his status to her and had been forcing sexual intercourse on her without her consent. She was enduring recurrent STIs and was worried that she may have contracted HIV. She was anxious that her unborn baby might also contract the infection.

At ARC, she received STI treatment and was referred for an HIV test which came back negative. She was relieved to learn she was HIV-free and that her unborn child was safe.

Although she was hesitant to report her case to the police, citing fear of stigma and rebuke from society due to preconceived perceptions around marital rape, she consented to further counselling and psychotherapy. A referral was initiated to the Musasa Project for antenatal care registration.

Sexual assault is a medical emergency, and, through the #72 campaign, ARC encourages early reporting of sexual assault to enable survivors to access free clinical services inclusive of PEP, Emergency Contraceptive Pill (ECP), STI prophylaxis, counselling and psychological services.

The following story represents the experience of many girls in Zimbabwe, who fail to access these critical services due to socio-cultural barriers. M is a 15 year-old girl and the only child of her single mother.

M was in secondary school when she met the perpetrator through a friend who was dating an older man, known colloquially as a ‘sugar daddy’. The perpetrator befriended M and then is said to have forced himself on her, offering her money to keep the incident a secret. He also bought her clothes and goodies.

After the sexual assault M was offered a ‘job’. The perpetrator would pick her up from home for the so-called job every day and drive her to a lodge where he would have unprotected sex with her. This became routine for some time until M fell pregnant. M informed the perpetrator about the pregnancy and immediately lost the ‘job’.

M and her mother came to ARC for assistance. They both received professional counselling and clinical services including a routine HIV test, pregnancy test, STI screening and forensic examination. M was not only pregnant but also tested positive for HIV. M and her mother continue to receive counselling and psychological therapy to help them cope and have also been linked to other services to ensure that M is virally suppressed.

ARC runs workshops with the police, social services, public prosecutors as well as medical personnel to broaden skills and awareness of issues surrounding the clinical management of rape survivors. In a marginalised community like Gokwe, stakeholders working together shows the community that the system can work effectively for victims of assault, both medically and legally.

J was 14 years old and bore the weight of her sexual trauma in silence. She lived in a small rural community in Gokwe and her uncle was serially abusing her. One day, during a health education talk at her school presented by ARC, J’s perception shifted as she found words for her experience. She learned that she was not alone, that her pain had a name, and that there were services available to help her heal.

After the session, J approached the nurse counsellor and whispered, “I was abused.” The nurse counsellor assured her that she was going to support her with all the services necessary to help her heal. The nurse alerted the school authorities, setting a chain of events in motion. The district social worker arrived, followed closely by the police. They treated the 14-year old girl with kindness, ensured her safety and took her to the ARC clinic for a medical examination. Unfortunately, the girl had contracted sexually transmitted infections but the clinic staff cared for her and treated the infections.

Meanwhile, the police apprehended the abusive uncle, who then faced the consequences of his actions in the courtroom resulting in an eight year prison sentence.

J’s parents had been unaware of their daughter’s suffering. Through family counselling, they learned how to support her and are encouraging her to continue pursuing her dreams. Despite the abuse, J is now more determined to achieve her academic goals. The awareness-raising campaign not only saved her life, but gave her the chance to rewrite her story, as a survivor and not a victim.