UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Priyanka Chopra, travels to Zimbabwe
Published: 05 June 2017 | by Staff reporter
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, actress Priyanka Chopra, met with children who have survived sexual violence in Zimbabwe.
She has shared stories from the children she met and has encouraged people to help UNICEF make a change in their lives.
She addressed the misconception that sexual violence is a rare occurrence that takes place at the hands of someone unknown to the victim.
The actress said: "Last week I traveled to Zimbabwe with UNICEF, where I met girls who had been raped or abused by an uncle, a grandfather, a cousin, a pastor—in other words, people those children should have felt safe around.
"I met some of these very brave girls during my visit, many of whom contracted HIV or experienced unwanted pregnancies, and as a result were stigmatised by friends and family and had difficulties at school.
"Yet the saddest part was these girls had lost the ability to trust others, because they had been taken advantage of by people who were supposed to protect them."
While in Zimbabwe, Chopra visited a center run by AfricAid with help from UNICEF that supports children and adolescents living with HIV and a voluntary Community Child Care worker in Epworth, Mr. Nicolas Mudada who helps identify and report cases of violence, exploitation, and neglect against children in his community.
She also visited a drop-in centre in Epworth, run by Childline Zimbabwe, which also runs a 24-hour help line with the help of UNICEF.
Chopra's last stop was a trip to Isibindi Safe Park in Soweto, a township in South Africa. With help from UNICEF, the centre supports orphaned and vulnerable children and provides a place for them to play and take part in educational activities after school.
- Vogue