How Lived Experiences Fuel Social Change
Evodius Gervas is the Co-Founder and Director of Hakizetu Organization , a nonprofit based in Mwanza, Tanzania which promotes the safety, health, and social protection of young women and girls to prevent early stage pregnancies and child or forced marriages.
Evodius's passion for social change is fueled by the events that have shaped his life.
As a young boy, he watched how harmful gender norms and stereotypes put young women and girls at a disadvantage. His own siblings were victims of gender-based violence, and he recalls vividly the day his sister arrived home pregnant.
"She came home severally to ask for forgiveness from our family, but no one was willing to listen to her," says Evodius. “Looking back, I can imagine how hard that experience was for her,” he adds.
Although very young and still in school, Evodius's sister was banished from the family, had to quit her studies, and was forced to live with the man who had impregnated her - a true misfortune.
While attending university many years later, Evodius received a government loan to support his studies. He decided to use a part of the money to help his sister realize her dream of getting an education.
Impressed by how much she had achieved after enrolling back in school, Evodius resolved to do something to empower young women who faced a similar fate to his sister's.
Converting Experience into Mission
After completing his studies, Evodius opened what would become Hakizetu Organization - a center for young women and girls, offering counseling services to survivors of gender-based violence. Over time, however, I have noticed that counseling alone was not enough to solve the problems these women faced.
He learned that poverty was one of the biggest reasons women were staying in violent relationships. He thought, if they were going to live dignified lives, the women needed more than just psychological support, they needed economic empowerment.
“To me, economic empowerment equaled dignity and choice. Having a complimentary program that looked at both psychological and financial well-being was critical to achieving this, ”he says.
Evodius and his team at Hakizetu created additional programs to meet the needs of the young women they served.
Today, they offer safe sexual and reproductive health services, legal aid and social counseling, and economic empowerment programs for young women to take control of their lives.
The story of Rosemary Bizmana is one example of how Hakizetu's programs have made an impact.
In Hakizetu's Cure of Pain - Successful Stories report, Rosemary recounts the physical abuse she faced as a domestic worker, the legal struggles she overcame to free herself, and the success she found with support from Hakizetu.
Today, Rosemary owns her own garment shop, uses family planning methods, and participates in bank loan services to grow her business. She is also an activist and volunteer at Hakizetu.
“I assist women and girls to liberate themselves financially and socially from the claws of the monster 'patriarchal system' and urge them to stand up together as one and fight for their rights because unity is power,” says Rosemary.
Finding the Courage to Lead
Evodius admits building Hakizetu has not been a walk in the park.
At first, people perceived his work in a negative way and many thought he was teaching daughters and wifes to rebel against men.
“I was arrested several times because of this. My activism was a threat to harmful gender norms that were disempowering young women and girls. There was a lot of pushback from the community because it went against our culture. They thought our work would disintegrate families, ”says Evodius.
Despite the challenges, Evodius knew he had to stand up for what was right. He found the courage to push through barriers and inspired others to support a new narrative for women and girls - one of dignity, hope, and empowerment.
“As leaders, we need to raise our voices when things are not right. The reason why so many bad things are happening is that good people are keeping quiet, ”he says.
Lessons Learned Through Leadership
Evodius has learned valuable lessons throughout his leadership journey and as a member of the Acumen Academy community.
First, he learned it's not easy to find people who believe in your vision and who are willing to put in the work to support you.
Evodius and his partner worked closely together until a series of differences forced them to separate. He learned that while disagreements are part of the work, it's important to have courageous conversations that will help you iron out your differences and move forward.
Second, I have learned the importance of leading with integrity.
“You have to lead by example. It would be unfair to expect your team to follow the rules while you do not. If you want to lead with integrity and credibility, you have to follow the rules, no matter your level of authority, ”he says.
Evodius also learned that it's important to reflect on your successes. He says one of the biggest highlights of his journey is knowing he's changed lives.
“I am content with the legacy I am leaving behind, especially when I look at our income-generating projects. I am happy to see a visible change in the lives of our beneficiaries, ”he says.
“When something affects one person, it affects us all. When you see something wrong happening in your community, speak out, ask questions, and do something about it, ”he adds.
Evodius believes we're all interconnected and we each have a role to play in breaking the cycle of indignity. His life experiences and his journey as an Acumen Fellow have taught him the value of accompaniment, which means creating meaningful change by walking alongside others.
