Betty Makoni

Betty Makoni [[1]]
Betty Makoni [[1]]
Born	22 June 1971 (age 53) ; Zimbabwe
Nationality	Zimbabwean
Alma mater	University of Zimbabwe
Known for	Gender Activism
Website	http://muzvarebettymakoni.org,http://muzvarebettymakoniei.co.uk, http://girlchildnetworkworldwide.org/

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Betty Makoni also affectionately known as Muzvare Betty Makoni in Royal Traditional Zimbabwe, is a girl child rights activist and globally awarded renowned women and girl child hero who for over a decade and a half has fought against patriarchal systems that treat girls and women as less human beings and leading to silent genocides in the homes and communities whose numbers are devastating and remain unknown. In all grassroots work Betty Makoni is an achiever who against all odds has brought tangible results and who despite all stumbling blocks in her fight for gender equality has remained consistent, steadfast and passionate. She is a beacon of hope for millions of girls in Zimbabwe, Africa and world over.

According to Afrikan Goddess Online Betty Makoni who made it to their top Ten nominees Betty Makoni has lived a life worth writing about. She never had a childhood, and was surrounded by the oppression of women, poverty and missed opportunities, and yet her life today is not a reflection of her past. She has overcome what she calls a vicious cycle of poverty and misery and today, she fights against the very system that sought to deny her the chance at a decent life. She is a brave and courageous woman for doing that. She is an African Goddess and best described as a woman of African descent who possesses an authentic, self-sufficient, female power. She is a woman of African descent who sets her own trends and sets her own pace. She dances to the tune of her own music. She is intelligent, innovative, and gets results, and she has a heart for her community. At Afrikan Goddess Online, we feature African women contributing something positive to their communities. These women are fighting for justice and taking a stance. These women are passionate about what they do and care immensely about making a difference in their communities and Betty Makoni remains on their top Ten http://www.afrikangoddess.com/bettymakoni.htm#en

Betty Makoni is Founder and Ex Director of Girl Child Network (GCN) Zimbabwewww.gcnzimbabwe.org from 1998 to 2008. She founded the organisation in a classroom together with ten of her students at Zengeza 1 High School in a poor high density called Chitungwiza http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitungwiza.

Traditional Royal Title Muzvare (Princess)was officially bestowed on Betty Makoni in 2004 by Chief Makoni and elders. She is called by Royal title Muzvare Betty Makoni in many circles as she is one of the most respected Princesses from Royal family of Makoni in Rusape, Zimbabwe.The Holy Shrine for Princesses in Rusapehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rusape revived after 400 years and where she presides over anchors protection of girls Worldwide.https://www.facebook.com/pages/edit/?id=118264034906772&sk=basic

Betty Makoni is currently Chief Executive Officer of Girl Child Network World Widewww.girlchildnetworkworldwide.org, an organization that champions the rights of the girl child globally. Since 1999 Betty has mobilized over 300 000 girls to be empowered so that they reach their full potential. The Girl Child Empowerment Modelhttp://projects.essex.ac.uk/ehrr/Vol7No1.html she came up with has since been replicated in many parts of the world and it is spreading like veld fire in South Africa, Ghana http://www.eturbonews.com/23111/betty-makoni-cnn-hero-joins-sandy-ghana-international-women-s-fa,Uganda www.gcnuganda.org Swaziland, Sierra Leone https://www.facebook.com/pages/Girl-Child-Network-Sierra-Leone/185127298221931,USA and Canada.Betty has mobilized financial resources to build four Girls Empowerment Villages, a unique model that provides safe shelter and healing for sexually abused girls. Today over 70 000 sexually abused girls have been empowered and rehabilitated through family, school and in the community.

A survivor of rape at age six http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5hNdk_WHHs&feature=share and orphaned at nine, Betty fought for her education and continues to do the same for girls in similar circumstances, being the consistent voice reminding policy makers and leaders to change attitudes and laws that are detrimental to the growth and development of the girl child http://bulawayo24.com/index-id-opinion-sc-columnist-byo-8739-article-Female+rapists+with+33+condoms+versus+Male+rapists+with+33+girl+victims+in+Zimbabwe+-+Be+the+judge.html.

A passionate speaker http://muzvarebettymakoni.org/speaking http://www.muzvarebettymakoniei.co.uk/speaker-profile.php http://www.springstreet.org/Pages/Community/Speakers.phpwith worldwide acclaim, Betty is also a mentor, coach and trainer on gender equality http://www.muzvarebettymakoniei.co.uk/, girls’ rights and an inspiration to young women, influencing and empowering thousands http://muzvarebettymakoni.org/training.

She is renowned for her innovative, proactive and preventative girl child empowerment programs which today directly benefit over 100 000 girls in Africa and millions round the world.From just one Girls’ Club with 10 girls at Zengeza 1 High School, Zimbabwe, GCN now has 700 clubs in ten provinces of Zimbabwe and 300 more clubs are being set up in Sierra Leone,Uganda and South Africa.. Betty has implemented innovative strategies directly eliminating gender-based violence and the harmful cultural practices that fuel the spread of HIV and AIDS among girls .

Betty is the founder of Ray of Hope–Networkhttp://womenandhumansettlements.org/africa/report-orphan-gala-organized-bethania-community-and-home-based-care-172.html, an organization for rape and domestic violence survivors. Betty Makoni has been instrumental in capacitating and inspiring many young women round the globe who are running similar projects to her http://www.muzvarebettymakoniei.co.uk/projects-success.php

Betty Makoni and her work to empower girls and rehabilitate victims of sexual abuse is featured in the award winning documentary Tapestries of Hope http://www.tapestriesofhope.com/ and the film by Toronto Law students The Girl Child http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ztDPZloa1Q&feature=related She is featured in the bestselling book, Women Who Light the Dark, by Paola Gianturcohttp://www.womenwholightthedark.com/ and many other websites as a best practice.

Betty Makoni and her work are on the World`s top change makers and is featured in on the Up Project http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL0KZ0RHOyQ&feature=related

She has received twenty six national and global awards, including the CNN 2009 Heroes award for protection of the powerless, the Decade Global Child Rights award alongside Nelson Mandela and Graca Machel, the coveted United Nations Red Ribbon award, Ginetta Segan – Amnesty International award, Zimbabwe National Contribution award and two Global Children`s awards. Betty Makoni is an Ashoka fellow from Zimbabwe.

Betty Makoni has been honored globally and she has 28 Global awardshttp://muzvarebettymakoni.org/about/awards for Excellence, Innovation and Passion • Top Ten Afrikan Goddess http://www.goddess-of-the-year.com/2011/10/meet-top-10-nominees.htmlhttp://myemail.constantcontact.com/Afrikan-Goddess--AG--Online--Congratulations---.html?soid=1102587831446&aid=q2uQN1-TGbU Newsweek Announced Betty Makoni is among 150 women who shake the world • Nominee African Achievers Award-UK May 2011 • Honorary Award from Duke University of Medicine(Top Ten US College)-2011 • Decade Child Rights Hero by the World Children’s Prize alongside Graca Machel and Nelson Mandela -Sweden -2010http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=tSJ3uzByUq0 • Interaction(Network of USA Non Profits) Humanitarian Award 2010 • The Women In Film and Television Awards-Los Angeles –USA</ref> http://www.zimdiaspora.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2324:betty-makoni-shines-in-hollywood-another-award&catid=38:travel-tips&Itemid=18|title=Betty Makoni shines in Hollywood, another award|accessdate=2009-12-27}}</ref> • CNN Heroes award for Protecting the Powerless-https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=195776235109&set=t.1298023579&type=3&theater2009 </ref> Betty Makoni was honored by UNIFEM Goodwill Ambassador Nicole Kidman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwZpDdl06xchttp://edition.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/06/04/cnnheroes.betty.makoni/index.html|title=Child rape survivor saves ‘virgin myth’ victims|accessdate=2009-12-27 | work=CNN | date=2009-10-01}}</ref> • Giraffe Heroes Project Award 2009 • Unsung Heroes of Compassion Award -2009 • Amnesty International Ginetta Sagan Award for women and children’s rights, USA May 2008 • Elected Ashoka fellow- -Global leading Social Entrepreneurs in recognition of creative and entrepreneurial leadership and commitment to make large scale changes in Societyhttp://www.ashoka.org/node/4421 • Drivers of Change Award –Southern Africa Trust 2007 • Women Empowerment Award 2007 • Runner Up-Director of the Year Award for NGO sector in Zimbabwe-2008 • Finalist One World Person of the Year 2007 • One of the Ten Outstanding young people in the World by Junior Chamber International a worldwide leadership organization for young leaders and professionals • Voted First out of Ten Outstanding Young in Zimbabwe 2007 the Junior Chamber Zimbabwe • Awarded by the World Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child the Global Friends Award -2007 • World Children’s Prize an equivalent to Nobel Prize for Children in 2007 in a Global Vote by 5,2 million children in 85 countrieshttp://worldschildrensprize.org/betty-makoni • Awarded the Zimbabwe Institute of Management National Contribution Award in 2007 immense contribution to the nation • The United Nations Red Ribbon Award -2006 for addressing gender inequalities that fuel the HIV/AIDS epidemic First organisation to receive this prestigious award in Toronto Canada. • Hafkin Prize Award Finalist, 2003 • Awarded for Creativity in Rural Life by the Women’s World Summit Foundation, Switzerland 2003. • Prize Betty Makoni for Prevention of Child Abuse now renamed Prize for Prevention of Child Abuse is celebrated on 19 November annually • Small Technical Grant Award for the most innovative Grassroots Community Based Strategy • Certificate of Honor by Global Philanthropy Forum for being the most Remarkable person, USA 2002

Betty Makoni is a registered Human Rights Defender with Frontline

Betty Makoni has led at many high level international boards to include Oxfam Round table and board member of International Development Exchange. She has been a member of UNAIDS round table until November 2011. She is currently a trustee of RESTORED UK http://www.restoredrelationships.org/ an anti violence against women christian network working round the world

Betty is married to Engineer Irvine Nyamapfene http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/irvine-nyamapfene/37/b74/3aa and she has 3 sonshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfKBjFO0WNw&feature=autoshare.

Daily people round the world give testimony on Betty Makoni`s work http://www.muzvarebettymakoniei.co.uk/reviews.php. Testimony after testimony confirming Betty Makoni is a life changer.

Betty Makoni has been featured on over 600 radio and television programs to include http://yourstorymatters.net/radio-show/betty-makoni-international-female-advocate, http://muzvarebettymakoni.org/betty-makoni-live-on-air-with-sandy-dhuyvetter-of-business-travelradio/,http://www.worldvisionreport.org/Stories/Week-of-April-17-2010/Betty-Makoni

Betty Makoni has a globally acclaimed radio program for empowerment of women and girls who outreach has made many women to break silence on abuse www.zimonlineradio.com http://muzvarebettymakoni.org/radio-show

Work to empower girls and bring especially high profile rapists has put Betty Makoni at risk of victimisation , death threats and many times she has been harassed and arrested in Zimbabwe. She is in self imposed exile in UK http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgTg8uSC6gU and her work has not stopped as Girl Child Network Worldwide work seeks to mobilise for the first ever Girls Empowerment Fund to help girls in her home country and many other girls in Africa who have approached her for help. Her trials and tribulations and all stories to discredit her work have been witnessed by many in the world http://muzvarebettymakoni.org/category/trials-and-tribulations-of-an-activist/ and Constance Manika from Zimbabwe sums up the trials and tribulations of Betty Makoni more accurately http://www.thewip.net/contributors/2007/10/zimbabwean_child_rights_activi.html

During her free time Betty Makoni writes poetry and a first book sharing how she uses the power of story telling poems to heal is about to be publishedhttp://muzvarebettymakoni.org/mother-no-more-poem-by-betty-makoni-for-a-two-year-old-girl-mother-murdered/

References

International Development Exchange blog http://www.idex.org/blog/tag/betty-makoni

Child Rights Activist Betty Makoni “Lights Up the Dark" for Abused and Disadvantaged Young Girls by by Constance Manika - Zimbabwe - http://www.thewip.net/contributors/2007/10/zimbabwean_child_rights_activi.html

The Truth About Betty Makoni from New Zimbabwe.Com http://www.newzimbabwe.com/news-1148-The%20Truth%20About%20Betty%20Makoni/news.aspx