By Naledi Nyoni
HARARE — “Fellow adolescents, your voice matters,” says 21-year-old Thormilson Thompson addressing young people across the capital who often struggle to access safe, confidential and non-judgmental healthcare.
Speaking from lived experience and his work in youth advocacy, Thompson urges adolescents not to be silenced by stigma, fear or age-based barriers, insisting that health services must be accessible, respectful and responsive to their needs.
He puts these words into action every day, helping to transform healthcare services for thousands of young people in Mbare, Matapi and Epworth, and demonstrating that meaningful youth participation can make care work better for everyone.
In this mission, Thompson is not alone.
He serves on the Adolescents Advisory Committee, a small but influential group of young people established to ensure that Médecins Sans Frontières’ (MSF) adolescent health programme responds to the real needs of young people, both within clinics and across the wider community.
In Zimbabwe, adolescents often face stigma, fear of judgment, lack of confidentiality, and few youth-friendly spaces, barriers that discourage them from seeking vital sexual and reproductive health services.
The Advisory Committee was established to address these challenges and give young people a meaningful role in shaping care.
Launched in 2024, the 12-member committee reflects the diversity of Zimbabwe’s youth.
Its members include teen mothers, young people formerly using drugs, adolescents engaged in sex work, and students, ensuring that their perspectives mirror the realities adolescents face across the country.
The committee meets quarterly to review progress, propose practical improvements, and provide MSF with recommendations.
Beyond these meetings, members stay active through outreach, peer education, and digital platforms such as WhatsApp to mobilise peers and share accurate health information.
“The Advisory Committee is worth it because we are the voice of young people in the project.
“As young people and members of this community, we know the hotspots.
“We are best placed to advise MSF,” Thompson explained.
Acting as a bridge between clinics and communities, the committee tackles misinformation, such as fabrications that MSF services are paid for, and ensures adolescents know that care is free, confidential, and accessible.
Through their input, adolescents have moved from being passive recipients of care to active partners in shaping services.
One of the committee’s first initiatives was the introduction of moonlight outreach sessions, designed for adolescents unable to attend daytime appointments.
The results have been tangible, service uptake has increased significantly.
In 2025 alone, MSF-supported clinics recorded 10,622 adolescent consultations, up from 8,481 in 2024 and 7,907 in 2023.
Adolescents aged 15–19 accounted for the largest share, contributing 4,732 consultations.
Beyond clinics, trained peer educators and committee members mapped youth gathering points to target outreach, reaching 24,475 adolescents in the community and 25,943 more in health facilities.
“We are the ears of MSF.
“We inform them what works and what does not,” Thompson says.
For Yvonne, a regular at the Mbare Adolescent Friendly Clinic, the impact of this youth-led approach is clear.
“The services we receive here are very good.
“We collect our medication without supply issues,” she said.
“While waiting, we receive health education and have time to play games.
“The staff are friendly, and the volunteers understand our needs,” added Yvonne.
MSF clinics provide more than HIV care.
“Apart from ARVs, we get pads, contraceptives, condoms, and treatment for other illnesses, even those not related to sexual and reproductive health.
“I feel free to visit the clinic anytime,” Yvonne adds.
Nelson, 22, who was born HIV positive, also showered praises to the clinic.
After previously collecting medication at another facility, he now receives care at the Mbare clinic.
“In other clinics, you are mixed with everyone, different ages, different needs.
“Here, we have a clinic of our own. And the services are free,” he said.
“Peer support is a highlight.
“This clinic makes it easier for adolescents to support each other because we meet here,” added Nelson.
Committee members also see their participation as an avenue for advocacy.
Mirabelle Gavi, a junior Member of Parliament, former Junior Mayor, and final-year student at Epworth High School, uses her role to strengthen youth engagement on sexual and reproductive health, substance use, and empowerment.
“Speaking out on issues without services is meaningless.
“People will not take you seriously,” she explains.
When she raised concerns about Solani, a hotspot in Epworth previously unreached by peer educators, MSF responded by deploying outreach teams.
“That made me feel proud, happy and honoured to be part of the committee,” Mirabelle said.
To complement youth engagement, MSF has introduced suggestion boxes and patient feedback surveys, which committee members review to guide decision-making and further improve services.
Today, MSF supports adolescent-friendly care across three sites: the nurse-led, fully medicalised Mbare Adolescent Friendly Clinic; the peer-led Matapi Youth Hub, supported by a nurse and social worker twice a week; and the peer-led Epworth Youth Centre, supported three days per week.
Together, these spaces provide health education, HIV screening and testing, social support, and referrals, ensuring that adolescents have access to care in safe, welcoming environments designed around their needs.
Thanks to initiatives like the Adolescents Advisory Committee, young people in Mbare, Matapi, and Epworth are no longer passive recipients, they are partners, advocates, and change-makers, actively shaping the future of adolescent health in Zimbabwe.
