Zimbabwean teen teaches taekwondo to combat child marriage
Natsiraishe Maritsa is teaching young women to fight against the pressure to become a child bride
HARARE, Zimbabwe (KLKN) —Girls as young as 10 years old are forced to marry in Zimbabwe because of either poverty or tradition, but one teenage taekwondo devotee has found a way of giving the girls in Zimbabwe a fighting chance.
Natsiraishe Maritsa, 17, has been a fan of martial arts since she was 5 years old. Now, she’s using her favorite sport to bring the young women of her country together in a fight against child marriage.
On Twitter, Natsiraishe said wants to end the idleness that results in sexual activities and drug abuse.
The bigger plan is to keep young girls occupied & stay away from sexual activities. It is imperative to understand that young people are iddle they have nothing to do. Sexual activities & drug abuse becomes the order of the day. By training taekwondo we keep the girls occupied https://t.co/6j6Qi54VLh pic.twitter.com/gvoqnPknPN
— Natsiraishe Maritsa (@taekwondokidzw) December 30, 2020
In a small, dusty yard outside of her parent’s home, students ranging from mothers to 4 years olds line up to learn from Natsiraishe. After a class of kicking, striking, and stretching, the women talk about the dangers of child marriage.
“We are not ready for this thing called marriage. We are just too young for it,” Natsiraishe told The Associated Press after the session, which she said is “a safe space” for the girls to share ideas.
Though the law in Zimbabwe says men and women can’t marry until the age of 18, child marriage is still a widely accepted practice, according to the Zimbabwean law enacted after the Constitutional Court struck down earlier legislation that allowed girls to marry at the age of 16 in 2016.
The United Nations Children’s Fund estimates that 30% of girls in the southern African nation are wed by 18 years old.
In a tweet, Natsiraishe gives advice to her fellow young women.
My advice is don’t be afraid to dream big Set your goals from day one super high.
Stay steady and focused on what you want to do long-term with your career. Do not let anybody get in the way of that, tell you that you can’t do it. https://t.co/lH4lLmmJNg— Natsiraishe Maritsa (@taekwondokidzw) December 30, 2020
