It has become a common phenomenon for relations to be very frosty between most African governments and several non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

In some instances, the differences emanate from political interference by some NGOs or a lack of respect or trust between parties.

In some countries, this has seen NGOs being shut down or their foreign employees being deported.

However, some development agencies have done well in closing the gap or complementing the government in the provision of selected services or facilities and amenities to their citizens.

For Beitbridge District, World Vision Zimbabwe (WVZ), a Christian-based organization, has done well-transforming lives in communities, especially the girl child and women.

Such a success story cannot be complete without the name of Mrs Pretty Dube, who has been steering the ship for over 10 years as the head of the Limpopo Area Development that covers Beitbridge.

She said she draws inspiration from her upbringing in rural Tsholotsho.

That is a place where as a child scrambling for the few opportunities that were available for girls and women was the order of the day.

“I started my first two years of education in the rural area of Tsholotsho, where l was staying with my grandmother before proceeding to Bulawayo where l completed my primary and secondary school and later studied for several degrees locally and at international universities,” said Mrs Dube.

“My dream was to become a lawyer, but then l later settled for teaching and left the noble profession and joined World Vision in 2003, as an assistant officer and then rose through the ranks and became cluster manager in Limpopo Area Development from 2019 to date.”

She said she was passionate about creating a positive future for children so that they can reach their greatest potential.

This, she added, could only be done through the creation of a conducive environment that will allow such growth.

Mrs Dube said in Beitbridge, she has superintended over the establishment of Masera and Malala secondary schools, and Langeni Primary School which WVZ has also equipped with furniture.

“One secondary is going to be established in Ward 2 in October at Tshabili and as an organisation, we have also rehabilitated Nuli Primary School,” she said.

“In all these areas, children used to travel for more than 15km in search of education. Considering my rural background, this has always been one thing that l have always wanted to change an opportunity arises.

“This affected some intelligent children who ended up dropping from school due to the long-distance”.

Other projects successfully implemented by World Vision under her leadership include the establishment of solar-powered water systems in over 10 schools and in four rural communities.

She said issues of Water and Sanitation Health (WASH) have become critical in managing the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Children and communities now have access to clean and safe drinking water and social distance is going to be easy to observe as there will be no scrambling for the precious liquid,” added Mrs Dube.

She said they had built several mothers’ waiting shelters to boost neo and post-natal services in rural communities.

Mrs Dube said working for an NGO, as a leader, a wife, a mother and other roles has never been easy for her.

The job, she said, had high pressures driven by deadlines, and that at times one has to put extra-long hours and sometimes work on weekends and holidays to ensure that they achieve their goals.

“In that regard, obviously the family and social life suffer. I personally am not of that ideology that believes, that a balance exists for anyone,” said Mrs Dube.

“At times, we give more emphasis to the career or the family depending on the circumstances and it somehow has a way of coming together.

“Planning and setting goals have been very key. Having a strong team that understands the leader’s vision and direction is also key as it gives my subordinates the capacity to complete the set goals in time, efficiently and effectively even during my absence.”

In terms, of stereotypes by fellow male colleagues, the philanthropist said, she has been very fortunate to work with people who treat her with respect as a leader.

This, she said, was due to her high levels of professionalism and a positive work ethic.

Mr Dube said no challenge was too big or small for her, and that she will continue pushing herself to the limit to achieve set goals built on professionalism and skills development.

“As a woman, l have always believed in gender equality, and l am one of the testimonies that we can break the barriers and take up any position be it professional or political.

“I always encourage girls and my female peers to take up any opportunity that is presented to them. I was groomed by other women, women in the church, women in entrepreneurship skills, and of course traveling abroad to other countries has also mentored and groomed well. I love God,” she said.

Culturally, she said, women were still regarded as “children” by their male counterparts making their growth difficult in various development spheres.

She said as a result of such stereotypes, some women were afraid to make decisions independently, even those who are breadwinners, and that many women did not own any meaningful assets.

According to Mrs Dube, most women lack education and confidence as well as the capacity for decision making and limited representation at positions of influence at different levels.

“It is of paramount importance to raise awareness to men through platforms such as Padare Men’s Forum and any meeting deemed important to talk about such treatment of women,” said Mrs Dube.

“This will help men to appreciate the role of women and help them to build their confidence once they treat them as their equal and with respect.

“Also, women need to be assertive and be economically empowered. There is no need to fight for their place with men but position themselves strategically as equal partners.”

She said upgrading or becoming a person of influence continued to be a challenge for the girl child in Africa.

“The higher you go, the fewer friends you get. But then, you need to define yourself, be focused, be a goal getter and never let your past determine your future,” she added.

To address the challenges around early pregnancies or child marriage, Mrs Dube said, there is a need to sensitise communities on the dangers of having children engage in early sexual debuts, both girls and boys.

She said it was critical to intensify advocacy with policymakers to fully pass the Marriage Bill into law, and to align the Children’s Act to the Constitution.

Children, she said, need to be empowered so that they are able to stand their ground and respect their actions and decisions.

“Climate change and pandemics have become some of the major challenges faced by women of our time, especially the widows or the breadwinners,” said Mrs Dube.

When given a larger role in the national development matters, she would opt for one that’s challenging and will allow her to work on policy frameworks and superintending their implementation and monitoring in an iterative way.

The philanthropist said currently, WVZ was working on establishing child-friendly education infrastructures and learning facilities in schools (classroom blocks), constructing girl-friendly inclusive school sanitation facilities.

Others are supporting School Development Committees’ (SDCs) agricultural management projects such as those relating to aqua-culture, the construction of more waiting mothers’ shelters, two-roomed houses and toilets for vulnerable children, the expansion of the solar-powered water systems, borehole drilling, and mechanisation.

“We are alive to issues affecting relations of governments and NGOs, and these differ. However, in our case, our principles are embedded in our Christian background and the code of ethics which every employee signs upon their employment.

“This means that any employee who violates what we stand for is in conflict with our vision, mission, and core values,” said Mrs Dube.

She said the development agencies should seek to complement governments’ agendas, be guided by their policies and priorities in line with the NGOs’ thematic drive and focus.

She added that they should also bridge the gaps identified and that they should fit in local authorities’ strategic plans in their areas of operation.

“It also important to note that NGOs are there to facilitate development and the government stakeholders are the ones who implement on the ground with the assistance of the NGOs,” said Mrs Dube.

“The community, on the other hand, must be in the driving seat of every development initiative done in their area.

“This will ensure that they are able to sustain these projects even when the donor has gone and they have total ownership. The government and NGOs must have a good cordial relationship.”

Mrs Dube said interventions by NGOs in most cases were based on needs assessments considering that challenges or gaps vary from area to area.

She said the implementation of long-term transformational development had a high and visible impact on the communities compared to short-term programs.

The official said NGOs will continue to grow in their commitment to save and change lives due to a number of issues including pandemics and climate change. -@tupeyo