Wayne Lumbasi
An ancient Zimbabwean tradition known as Nhanga is being reborn with a powerful new mission to protect girls from child marriage and empower them to shape their own futures. Once used to prepare young girls for marriage, this traditional practice is now being transformed into a safe and empowering space that promotes education, mentorship, and self-reliance.
Traditionally, Nhanga referred to a girls’ hut or gathering place where older women taught adolescent girls how to manage households, behave modestly, and please their future husbands. Today, the same setting has been reimagined as a center for empowerment, a place where girls meet to learn about their rights, discuss issues affecting them, and gain skills that can help them avoid early marriage.
In these gatherings, girls of different ages talk openly about topics that were once taboo: child marriage, gender-based violence (GBV), reproductive health, and education.
They are mentored by older women, some who escaped child marriage themselves, who now guide the next generation toward independence. The sessions also include lessons in practical skills such as soap making, poultry farming, and tailoring, providing participants with a source of income and confidence to make their own choices.
Community leaders have also joined the effort, turning into a bridge between tradition and progress. Chiefs and village elders, once enforcers of early marriages, are now among the strongest advocates for girls’ rights. In some areas, they impose penalties on those who marry off underage girls and encourage families to support education instead.
The results are already visible. Hundreds of girls have re-enrolled in school, started small businesses, or become mentors themselves. Beyond changing individual lives, Nhanga is reshaping community attitudes, showing that culture, when reinterpreted with purpose, can be a force for liberation rather than limitation.
By reviving Nhanga, Zimbabwe is proving that progress and tradition can coexist. What was once a path to early marriage has become a symbol of resilience, unity, and empowerment, inspiring hope for a generation of girls determined to write their own stories.
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