Batanai HIV and AIDS Service Organisation

30/06/2026

Thanks for being a top engager and making it on to my weekly engagement list! 🎉 Carol T Chuma, Steve Mketiwa, Emmanuel Dzenga, Nomatter Masere, Taf Dee

24/06/2026

📍 Report on Intersectionality Community Score Card Rollout (ICSC) held in Chamas Village, Bikita | BHASO + VSO

Yesterday in Chamas Village, Bikita, something shifted.

BHASO + VSO sat with community members and Mr L Makazinge, founder of the Chamas group, for an Intersectionality Community Score Card (ICSC) session. No fancy speeches. Just real talk about rights, services, and who gets left behind.

What happened?

1. Rights & SRHR with Takura (BHASO)
We broke taboos. Spoke openly about bodies, family planning, maternal health, and GBV. Because in rural Bikita, silence kills. Knowing your rights = demanding respectful clinics and making informed choices without fear.

2. Social Accountability with Miss Kumbie (BHASO)
Question: “When inputs are late or clinics have no meds, who do you ask?”
Answer: _You_. Social accountability means communities track services, ask hard questions, and expect real answers. No more waiting for problems to explode.

3. Intersectionality with Kundai (VSO)
A woman in Chamas isn’t just a “woman.” She might be poor, far from the clinic, with little education. If we don’t see ALL those barriers, our projects fail. Intersectionality means solutions must reach everyone youth, PWDs, elderly, women not just the loudest.

Then we got practical.
Groups took flipcharts and wrote what they already know. Stock-outs. Ignored voices in meetings. Late inputs. Real issues, in their words.

The message was clear:
✅ Speak up when services fail. Use what you learned.
✅ Take responsibility for opportunities. Seeds given = food grown. Don’t waste what comes to Chamas.

Why this matters for rural Bikita:
When people know their rights, demand accountability, and see each other’s struggles, they stop being “beneficiaries.” They become _partners_ in development.

BHASO + VSO + Mr Makazinge + the Chamas group = proof that collaboration works. Yesterday was about confidence. Tomorrow is about action.

Chamas Village spoke. Now we all listen.*l

24/06/2026

Stakeholder Inception Meeting Report – BHASO, Bikita
‎Date:_ 22 June 2026
‎Venue:_ National AIDS Council Offices, Nyika Growth Point

On 22 June 2026, BHASO convened a stakeholder engagement meeting at NAC offices in Bikita. The meeting brought together key duty bearers and partners to strengthen policy engagement, social accountability, and gender-transformative capacity within the district.

Stakeholders in attendance included representatives from VSO International, Agritex, National AIDS Council, Department of Social Development Unit, Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Ministry of Health and Child Care, and the TB and Leprosy Control Medical Officer, the District Development Coordinator and District Nursing Officer. Dr Tecla Ponde, VSO Director*, was also present. The presence of these departments reflected the multi-sectoral approach needed to address community concerns around health, agriculture, and social protection.

A key session was co-led by BHASO and VSO, with technical input from Dr Tecla Ponde, VSO Director. The session clarified _Social Accountability vs Operational (O) Terms_ for stakeholders. It was explained that social accountability goes beyond routine operational reporting. While “O terms” focus on outputs and activities — like number of trainings held or inputs delivered — social accountability demands evidence of _impact_ and _responsiveness_. It asks: Did services actually improve? Were citizens heard? Are duty bearers acting on feedback? This distinction helped align all partners on using citizen-generated data to track real change, not just paperwork.

The central focus of discussions was on improving how communities engage with duty bearers. Participants agreed that dialogues, evidence, and collective voice are the most effective approaches for social accountability. It was emphasized that community feedback must be supported by credible evidence if it is to influence policy and service delivery. There was also strong consensus that gender equity should be mainstreamed across all sectors, particularly in health and agriculture programs where women and vulnerable groups are often most affected.

Duty bearers acknowledged their responsibility to create safe and open spaces where citizens can raise concerns without fear. Community structures and CSOs were urged to play their role by mobilizing communities, collecting accurate data, and ensuring that feedback reaches the right platforms.

In conclusion, the meeting reaffirmed that sustainable development in Bikita depends on collaboration. When government departments, CSOs, and communities speak with one collective voice and use evidence to back their concerns, policy engagement becomes stronger and service delivery improves. Stakeholders committed to institutionalizing regular ward-level dialogues and to building the capacity of community monitors to track and report delivery.

19/06/2026

💔 Remembering Auxillia Chimusoro: The Woman Who Spoke When Silence Killed
Today marks the passing of Auxillia Chimusoro, the first Zimbabwean and one of the first African women to publicly declare her HIV‑positive status. In 1987, she stood before cameras and said, “I am positive and loud.”
Her courage broke the silence that surrounded HIV and gave a human face to a disease that had been treated as a curse.
Auxillia faced unimaginable stigma. Teachers refused to teach her children, neighbours avoided her family, and communities demanded her exile. Yet she turned pain into purpose—founding BHASO (Batanai HIV & AIDS Service Organisation) in Masvingo and helping create ZNNP+, the Zimbabwe National Network of People Living with HIV.
Her advocacy changed policy, made female condoms accessible, and inspired thousands to speak out. The U.S. Embassy’s Auxillia Chimusoro Awards continue to honour her spirit recognizing those who advance HIV prevention, care, and human rights.
But today, Zimbabwe faces a painful reversal. Stigma is creeping back. Many people living with HIV are silent again, fearful of judgment. The movement Auxillia helped build once vibrant and united is fragmented by funding cuts and fatigue.
If she were here, Auxillia would remind us that silence is betrayal. She would urge us to reclaim our voices, revive community‑led education, and demand accountability.
Her legacy is not just history—it’s a call to action.
Let’s honour Auxillia by speaking openly, standing together, and ensuring that her courage continues to save lives.

24/05/2026

Being part of the writing process for Zimbabwe’s TB & Leprosy Strategy 2027–2030 has been a privilege.

Over the past 3 weeks, I Farai P Mahaso BHASO Director, joined nationwide data collection efforts with the team in Harare Province, while others were deployed across the country. A standout moment: collecting data at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison — proof that our strategy leaves no one behind.

I worked with dedicated professionals who gave their all to produce a credible, quality roadmap to end TB. The document is now validated.

What I’ll carry forward:
1. The power of inclusion– from prisons to communities, every voice counted.
2. The strength of leadership– grateful to the National TB Programme for driving this with excellence.
3. The value of civil society– thank you Jointed Hands Welfare Organisation for ensuring grassroots voices shaped national policy.

This is how we build strategies that work. This is how we end TB — together.

* *

02/05/2026

24/03/2026

🌱 Field Day in Shashe – growing food, health & resilience

On 24 March, BHASO joined a field day at Chinovava homestead (Shashe) under the theme “Building resilient communities through agroecology and food sovereignty.” The event was hosted by Zimsoff. Partners who attended include,BHASO,
Women Affairs, Ministry of Health and Child Care, Agritex, and Fambidzana Prima Culture (Mbire).

We talked about how traditional, organic foods boost immunity and help people living with HIV stay well on treatment—plus why cutting back on heavily processed foods matters. Women Affairs emphasized women’s empowerment and food security, Health highlighted nutrition in community care, Agritex shared sustainable practices, and Fambidzana Prima Culture brought local knowledge.

Good food, strong community, better health—grateful for the partnership. VSO Zimbabwe

24/03/2026

📢 BHASO Update – Volunteer Support & Safety

On 23 March 2026 in Mashava, Shashe, BHASO took part in a Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) training on Volunteer and Safeguarding policies.

We explored how clear role descriptions, respectful engagement, induction, supervision, and feedback keep volunteers supported—and how risk assessments, confidential reporting, and strong safeguarding procedures keep everyone safe. Group discussions and VSO’s global case studies helped us spot gaps and draw up practical next steps.

We’re now revising our induction materials, setting up clearer safeguarding contacts, and planning regular policy reviews. Thanks to VSO for a participatory session that strengthened our commitment to a safe, welcoming space for volunteers.

Building better volunteer support means stronger community work. VSO Zimbabwe

24/03/2026

Pleased to share key takeaways from the Social Accountability Training BHASO attended on 23 March at Shashe Agroecology School (Zvamahande, Mashava).

The session framed social accountability as a change process that empowers marginalized communities to lead their own development—through dialogue, evidence, and collective voice—rather than confrontation. We explored practical tools (community scorecards, mystery visitors, social audits, public expenditure tracking), how to choose them (purpose, complexity, participation, sustainability), and approaches that anchor engagement in law and direct community participation.

We also reviewed Zimbabwe’s public budget cycle—formulation, approval, ex*****on, oversight—and the roles of the Ministry of Finance, Parliament, Treasury, and the Auditor-General. These insights strengthen how we work with citizens, local leaders, and duty-bearers to promote transparency and service-provider responsiveness.

Grateful for the participatory format and peer exchanges; we’re now mapping how these tools can sharpen our community accountability work in health and volunteer programmes. VSO Zimbabwe