Rutendo Bamhare is a national UN Volunteer Communications Specialist for UNICEF in Zimbabwe. After serving in her volunteer assignment for two years, Rutendo reflects on what drives her to continue to be an inspiration in action for young people in Zimbabwe.
It's summer and in the sweltering heat of Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe, we sought refuge in a tranquil, shaded area. I was about to take an interview. A conversation with a young community member. The interview quickly turned into a heart-to-heart. Nineteen-year-old, Debbie Chinochema, looked me in the eye, smiled intermittently, before sharing her journey. It was a story of surviving stigma to becoming a community champion, and then evolving into a strong voice for adolescents living with HIV.