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EMPOWA: Empowering Professionals for the Wellbeing of Adolescents is an innovative year-long training programme for policy makers and programmers, jointly run and accredited by LSHTM and University of Zimbabwe.  

Programme

Welcome by the chair - Professor Rashida Ferrand, Professor of International Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Biomedical Research and Training Institute (BRTI) 

Professor Rashida Ferrand is a physician and an epidemiologist, and has been based in Zimbabwe for about 20 years. She is the Director of The Health Research Unit Zimbabwe (THRU ZIM), with a focus on health and well-being of adolescents and young people. She is delighted to be part of the EMPOWA Programme whose vision is to improve the well-being of adolescents through the participatory development of a programme for policymakers and programmers across different sectors, not just health. 

Overview of the EMPOWA Programme - Dr. Constance Mackworth-Young (LSHTM and Biomedical Research and Training Institute)  

Dr. Constance Mackworth-Young is a Medical Anthropologist, with a research focus on young people, sexual and reproductive health, and participatory qualitative methodologies. She works at LSHTM and the Biomedical Research and Training Institute in Zimbabwe, and is happy to be based in Zimbabwe, having previously worked in the UK and Zambia. She has hugely enjoyed working with the Organising Group and Advisory Group to lead the development and delivery of the EMPOWA Programme.  

Partnership with University of Zimbabwe and teaching on the Programme - Professor Marvellous Mhloyi (University of Zimbabwe)  

Professor Marvellous Mhloyi is a demographer and social scientist, based at the University of Zimbabwe, with great interest in reproductive health issues. She is one of the organising team members for this programme, in which she has particular interest and excitement. She believes that it will help to improve operationalization and implementation of policies and programmes in a more transformative and holistic manner. She is especially excited to work jointly with policy makers and programmers to achieve this end, a collaboration which is most needed in our context. She has enjoyed developing the programme collaboratively with colleagues from BRTI, LSHTM and our own Ministries of Primary and Secondary Education and Health and Child Care and is happy that this programme has been tailor-made for Zimbabwe as much as possible

Zimbabwe government partnerships - Mr. Aveneni Mangombe (Ministry of Health and Child Care)  

Mr. Aveneni Mangombe is a social scientist with wide experience in public health programming, advocacy, and research, with a special focus on adolescents & youth. I am the Partnerships Management Coordinator for the EMPOWA Programme. I supported the adaptation of the Programme to Zimbabwe from its initial origins in the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) collaboration. I am delighted with the key ministries, parastatals, UN agencies, civil society, and young people’s interest and commitment to support the Programme. 

Youth facilitator involvement and overview of change projects - Ms. Linnet Zvoushe (youth facilitator), Biomedical Research and Training Institute (BRTI)   

Ms. Linnet Kudzai Zvousheis honored to be part of the EMPOWA Programme that will enhance adolescent well-being through strengthening policies and programming in Zimbabwe. She holds a Masters in Demography and Sociology degrees from the University of Zimbabwe. Working as the Programme officer under the Spotlight Initiative funded by UN Women, she researches Gender-Based Violence in Manicaland. She is a former National Coordinating Chairperson Under SayWhat and an Alumina for the Young Feminist Leadership program under the African Gender Institute (AGI).

Testimonials from Programme participants

Participants TBC

Vision for future of the EMPOWA programme - Professor Rashida Ferrand  

Professor Rashida Ferrand is a physician and an epidemiologist, and has been based in Zimbabwe for about 20 years. She is the Director of The Health Research Unit Zimbabwe (THRU ZIM), with a focus on health and well-being of adolescents and young people. She is delighted to be part of the EMPOWA Programme whose vision is to improve the well-being of adolescents through the participatory development of a programme for policymakers and programmers across different sectors, not just health. 

Discussion section

 

This hybrid session will be broadcast live, and a recording will be available after the event on this page.