"THE national development agenda ought to be inclusive and responsive to the ordinary Zimbabwean regardless of age and origin," says Gidza Fire.
Gidza Fire, a little known but rising musician and child rights activist from Shangani, a roadside growth point along Gweru-Bulawayo highway was born Gift Hapazari.
Speaking to Standard Style, Gidza Fire said some civic leaders are taking advantage of people in rural communities.
"It is usually at election time when a stream of unending promises flow," Gidza Fire said.
"What worries me the most is the fact that some community leaders take advantage of the hospitality extended to them by people in rural areas by treating them as passive, contributing to the underdevelopment of most rural communities."
He said many children were suffering in silence, owing to lack of will among some government agencies to stamping out poverty.
"It's unfortunate that in resettlement areas children are walking over 30 kilometres to and from school daily.
"The main reason being lack of schools within (reasonably) walking distance," said the 24-year-old change maker.
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Speaking from experience, the former child councillor said in resettlement areas, young people, especially the girl child, were affected.
"As a country, we are grappling with early marriages, high cases of early pregnancies, school dropouts, rapes and failing health due to poor water sources where others share water sources with animals, unfortunately no one seems to care,"
"It is high time we reflect as a country and share concerns of the marginalized communities.
"In Zimbabwe, what now separates rural children from their urban counterparts are rather the issues to do with access to resources and decent educational facilities."
Gidza Fire said the government should now consider creating an enabling environment for the young people in rural areas to equally access resources and facilities that would help change the state of affairs in situations where academic schooling fails to make an anticipated impact.
"Most children sleep upon reaching school or sometimes opt to abscond lessons because they will be too tired to concentrate on assignments.
"A lasting solution to this anomaly, which has made many to consider education as a detestable venture is needed urgently," he said.
Gidza further defines his role as a social commentator who now employes music to set a noble agenda of liberating mankind from their many fears and pressures of lives as, "a necessary demanding action."
"I use music for its interactive nature in my quest to amplify the voice of the children and the many people living in the rural communities," he said.
"The vision being to point out these day-to-day challenges hoping to have them resolved when the time is due. "
Gidza is best known for tracks that include Ndakuda Kurova MaBeats featuring Ican (2022) and Zihlobozami Ngixoleleni (2023).
