I am a #WOSSO fellow from Zimbabwe, and WOSSO stands for ‘Women of the South Speak Out’. I got to know about WOSSO at work. Our Executive Director, Mrs. Edinah Masiyiwa shared the email and encouraged me to apply. Mai Masiyiwa is a seasoned, unapologetic feminist who roots for women all day – everyday. With her support, I went ahead and applied.
We underwent virtual interviews. At first, I was anxious, but the staff members at Gender Links were very friendly and curious to hear out my ideas. A few days later, I got a reply, and I couldn’t believe it.
We (Gender Links staff members and the 14 WOSSO Fellows from Southern Africa) met in Harare from the 8th of August to the 16th of August, and during this 8-day-long residence, we participated in a lot of fun and hectic activities including the Onboarding process, attending the 6th Southern Africa Youth Forum, The Southern Africa Safe Abortion Alliance meeting, the launch of the Women in Political Participation Barometer and the #VoiceandChoice Barometer on the Gender Day. We also visited the Museum of African Liberation and went on a field trip to Murehwa Rural District Council and Rozaria Memorial Trust.
One of my fears during this whole process was calling people with wrong names. So, I really took my time trying to memorize other fellows’ names. My immediate expectations were to learn new words from different languages, to learn about the diverse advocacy issues from other fellows’ countries, to make new friends, and to enjoy some yummy food. All were met, and it was such a beautiful experience.
Written by Vimbai R. Nyika, WOSSO Fellow