Year
2025
Project Title
Building Joyful Futures! A pleasure-Centric Initiative for young Zimbabweans
Funding Partner
Amplify Change
Project Objectives
(i) To empower 100 young peer educators in pleasure-based sexual & reproductive health and advocacy through inclusive leadership training.
(ii) To increase participation in connecting and community-building activities related to pleasure-based sexual and reproductive health through youth engagement.
(iii) To increase CSOs' capacity in pleasure-based sexual and reproductive health.
(iv) To increase linking, learning, and sharing opportunities towards comprehensive pleasure-based sexual and reproductive health education.
Team Building
Stronger together, learning together.
Our team came together for an immersive experience filled with learning, reflection, and connection. Through insightful discussions on pleasure-based sexual and reproductive health and rights, interactive activities like the Spider Web challenge, go-kart riding, and role plays, we explored how openness, knowledge, and collaboration strengthen the work we do.
Each reflection circle and team dialogue created space for honest conversations, shared perspectives, and deeper understanding. Moments like these remind us that building a strong team is just as important as the mission itself. As we continue working on Building Joyful Futures, we carry forward the lessons, energy, and commitment to creating inclusive, rights-based approaches to sexual health education.
Together, we learn. Together, we grow. Together, we keep building joyful futures
Joint meeting
Big moment for us at YDIT!
We’re shifting the conversation from just risk reduction to empowerment with the launch of our groundbreaking project, "Building Joyful Futures! A
pleasure-Centric Initiative for young Zimbabweans.'' With our stakeholders from Nango,SayWhat,QUAPAZ,ZNFPC,Ceshhar,Elevation Zimbabwe,MAYA,MAA,Kreative Studios,NewZiana present and guided by a Pleasure-Based Sexual Education (PBSE) consultant, Nyasha Dick, we explored PBSE, a bold approach that centers around dignity, consent, and holistic well-being for young people.
From understanding what PBSE really means to navigating culture, faith, and Zimbabwe’s SRHR landscape, the conversations were powerful, honest, and youth-driven. Most importantly, we kept youth voices at the center—because their real experiences matter. This was just the beginning of building informed, confident, and joyful futures for young people across Zimbabwe.
Monitoring & Evaluation Framework Development Workshop
Youth Development Initiative Trust (YDIT) conducted a Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Framework Development Workshop to strengthen how the *Building Joyful Futures!* project will track its progress and impact over the next 24 months. The workshop followed a prior stakeholder inception meeting and brought together government institutions, civil society organizations, youth groups, and community partners.
During the workshop, participants worked together to define success indicators, agree on data collection tools, set reporting timelines, and identify possible risks and solutions. Tools such as surveys, focus group discussions, attendance records, and social media analytics were selected to measure project outcomes.Key risks such as low youth participation, community resistance, and data quality challenges were discussed, and practical mitigation strategies were developed.
The workshop marked an important step in ensuring transparency, accountability, and effective learning throughout the implementation of the *Building Joyful Futures!* project.Through initiatives like this, YDIT continues to promote youth-centered, dignity-affirming sexual and reproductive health education across Zimbabwe
Peer Comprehensive Pleasure-Based Education & Peer Educator Advocacy Training Workshop
Youth Development Initiative Trust (YDIT) successfully convened two intensive workshops under the Building Joyful Futures! A Pleasure-Centric Initiative for Young Zimbabweans project, aimed at transforming Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) programming through youth-led advocacy.
Grounded in the Rudo, Hunhu, neHutano (Love, Dignity, and Health) framework, the workshops emphasized Ubuntu values, dignity, and empowerment, positioning pleasure as a key component of safer and healthier sexual practices. The sessions equipped young people with knowledge and facilitation skills in Pleasure-Based Sexual Education (PBSE) while strengthening their ability to engage policymakers, civil society organizations, and communities.
A total of 40 youths aged 18–35 from diverse communities in Mutare participated across the two days. The workshops were also livestreamed on Facebook, expanding reach to a wider audience and increasing engagement with young people interested in innovative SRHR approaches.During the sessions, participants explored PBSE foundations through interactive activities such as body mapping, roleplays, and advocacy simulations. Youths also learned modern facilitation models and used digital tools to design advocacy strategies that promote condoms and lubricants as tools of pleasure, empowerment, and safety.
As a result of the workshops, participants reported increased confidence to deliver PBSE in their communities and developed culturally sensitive strategies to address resistance around SRHR discussions. The initiative also strengthened youth-led advocacy networks across Mutare, laying a strong foundation for sustained community engagement.
Despite challenges related to cultural and religious resistance, the workshops demonstrated the power of youth-centered, culturally grounded approaches to SRHR education. By centering love, dignity, and health, young advocates are now better equipped to challenge stigma, promote safer practices, and build joyful futures for their communities.
Capacity Building Workshop
Youth Development Initiative Trust (YDIT) successfully convened a Capacity Building Workshop aimed at strengthening Civil Society Organizations’ (CSOs) understanding and integration of pleasure-based Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) principles in Zimbabwe. The workshop brought together diverse CSOs, advocacy groups, consultants, and stakeholders committed to advancing inclusive, rights-based SRHR programming.
The initiative responded to the growing need to move beyond traditional risk-focused approaches to SRHR by promoting dignity, consent, pleasure, and holistic wellbeing within programming, advocacy, and service delivery.
Through presentations, panel discussions, group work, and knowledge-sharing sessions, participants explored global and local perspectives on pleasure-based SRHR and developed practical strategies for integrating these principles into their organizational work.
Key outcomes of the workshop included:
• Increased awareness and understanding of pleasure-based SRHR approaches among CSOs.
• Enhanced capacity to design inclusive, pleasure-centered interventions.
• Strengthened advocacy skills for influencing rights-based SRHR policies.
• Improved collaboration and networking among organizations in Manicaland and beyond.
• Development of draft organizational action plans for mainstreaming pleasure-based SRHR.
The workshop also addressed potential challenges such as cultural sensitivities, limited familiarity with pleasure-based frameworks, and resource constraints by encouraging inclusive dialogue, peer learning, and partnership-building.
This workshop marked an important milestone in advancing inclusive and empowering SRHR programming in Zimbabwe. By equipping CSOs with practical knowledge and advocacy tools, YDIT continues to strengthen the movement for young people’s rights, dignity, consent, and wellbeing.
One on One Interviews
Youth Development Initiatives Trust (YDIT) conducted a series of one-on-one interviews to gather youth perspectives on Pleasure-Based Sexual and Reproductive Health Education (PBSE).
The interviews engaged five young participants from Bernwin, Chikanga, and New Border View, creating a safe platform for open discussions around consent, pleasure, dignity, stigma reduction, and access to sexual and reproductive health services.
Using semi-structured interview guides and anonymized Kobo questionnaires, the sessions explored the lived experiences, challenges, and opportunities faced by young people in relation to PBSE. The activity forms part of the project’s broader effort to shift SRHR conversations beyond risk prevention toward well-being, informed choice, and positive health outcomes.
Insights gathered through the interviews will contribute to advocacy, training, and youth-centered program design, while strengthening the project’s evidence base for inclusive SRHR interventions in Zimbabwe.
The activity successfully achieved its objectives and reaffirmed the importance of centering authentic youth voices in shaping sexual and reproductive health programming.
Focus Group Discussion
Youth Development Initiatives Trust (YDIT) successfully hosted a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) bringing together 20 youth and stakeholder representatives to explore Pleasure-Based Sexual and Reproductive Health Education (PBSE) in Zimbabwe.The discussion formed part of the project’s *Connecting & Community-Building* theme and aimed to generate evidence on youth perceptions, cultural attitudes, and opportunities for integrating PBSE into sexual and reproductive health programming.
Participants highlighted that conversations around sexual health remain highly stigmatized in many communities. However, framing discussions around *Rudo* (love), *Hunhu* (dignity), and *Hutano* (health) created a more open and positive environment for engagement. Youth also identified peer pressure and unequal power dynamics in relationships as key factors influencing sexual decisions.The session revealed growing community readiness for inclusive and youth-friendly SRHR programming, while emphasizing the importance of involving parents, church leaders, teachers, and other community gatekeepers in future interventions.
Pre- and post-session Kobo survey results showed measurable increases in participant comfort and confidence in discussing PBSE topics. The findings will contribute to advocacy efforts and help shape future youth-led interventions under the project.The FGD strengthened YDIT’s evidence base for inclusive SRHR programming and reaffirmed the importance of culturally sensitive, rights-based approaches that promote healthy, informed, and joyful futures for young people in Zimbabwe.
