OpenLens Media Institute

20/04/2026

From silence to strength.

For years, Nokuvimba Matipano endured domestic violence in silence. Today, she is helping other women in Zimbabwe break free, heal and rebuild their lives.

Her journey is a reminder that survivors need more than laws; they need safe spaces, counselling, economic opportunities and community support.

The United Nations Population Fund says about 1 in 3 women aged 15-49 in Zimbabwe have experienced physical violence, while about 1 in 4 have experienced sexual violence since age 15.

Read this powerful story of courage, resilience and hope by Open Lens Media Institute:

Read the full story: https://openlensmediainstitute.com/2026/04/20/from-silence-to-strength-zimbabwe-domestic-violence-survivor-empowers-women-to-break-free/

07/04/2026

Women in Shurugwi are not waiting for climate solutions; they are creating them.

In the face of erratic rainfall, droughts, and shrinking harvests, women farmers in Shurugwi are stepping up, adapting, innovating, and protecting their communities from the harsh realities of climate change.

Across Zimbabwe, women form the backbone of agriculture, yet they are also among the most vulnerable to climate shocks. 
But this story shows something powerful:

Women are not just victims of climate change, they are leaders of resilience.

From adopting climate-smart farming techniques to finding new ways to sustain their families, these farmers are rewriting the narrative, turning crisis into opportunity and survival into strength.

📖 Read the full story here, written by one of our mentees :

Women Farmers Turning the Tide Against Climate Change in Shurugwi By Ngonidzashe David Dhoro As she sings a melodious hymn from her church book, a middle-aged woman spreads piles of homemade fertiliser across her tomato seedbeds in the remote rural community of Matimba in Shurugwi. For Joyce Zivuku....

23/02/2026

In Zimbabwe today, sports betting shops are full. So are the untold stories behind them.

For many young people, betting and drugs are coping mechanisms. A way to deal with unemployment. A way to manage stress. A way to feel hope, even if only for 90 minutes.

But what starts as escape can quickly turn into something else.

In our latest feature, OpenLens Media Institute speaks to young people, families, and experts to unpack how gambling and substance use are intersecting and why the solution is not simply punishment, but understanding the social and economic pressures driving the crisis.

📖 Read the full story here:
👉 https://openlensmediainstitute.com/2026/02/23/betting-on-escape-paying-the-price-how-zimbabwes-youth-are-navigating-gambling-and-drug-addiction/

Let’s talk about it. What solutions do you think Zimbabwe needs right now?

Betting on Escape, Paying the Price: How Zimbabwe’s Youth Are Navigating Gambling and Drug Addiction By Staff Reporter Every morning, before the betting shop opens, Tawanda (22) is already waiting outside. What began as casual wagers with friends has grown into a relentless cycle, one that drains ...

17/02/2026

🚨 Paying to get a job? That’s a red flag.

Dozens of young people queued at Boka Islip House after seeing retail job adverts on WhatsApp - only to be told to pay US$25 for “training” and work unpaid attachments.

Charging job seekers is unlawful under Zimbabwe’s Labour Act. Yet these schemes are thriving on desperation.

Read the full undercover investigation on OpenLens Media Institute-

WhatsApp predators: How scammers turn employment dreams into exploitation By Linda Mujuru On a busy Monday morning in central Harare, dozens of young people lined a narrow corridor inside Boka Islip House on the seventh floor outside room 702. All of them were clutching copies of their identificatio...

11/02/2026

Meet Our 2026 Feature Writing Mentees

We’re excited to introduce the 2026 Feature Writing Mentees at OpenLens Media Institute, a cohort of emerging storytellers committed to telling deeper, more human-centred stories.

Over the coming months, these mentees will be sharpening their feature writing skills through mentorship, practical reporting, and constructive journalism training. They’ll be working on stories that go beyond headlines, exploring solutions, resilience, and accountability in communities.

At OpenLens, we believe strong journalism is built through guidance, practice, and care, especially in a media ecosystem that often leaves little room for learning. This mentorship programme is part of our commitment to nurturing ethical, thoughtful, and impact-driven journalists.

Our lead mentor is Charles Kolou, an award-winning journalist based in Lome, Togo. He is also a trainer in solutions journalism and environmental journalism.

👏 Join us in welcoming our 2026 mentees as they begin this journey. We look forward to sharing their stories with you.

10/02/2026

Coping, Not Waiting: How Zimbabweans Are Adapting to Economic Instability

Inflation may be easing, but daily life in Zimbabwe is still full of challenges especially for people without USD salaries. In our latest feature, we meet vendors, teachers, small business owners and everyday workers who are finding practical ways to keep their households going. From roadside grocery sales to savings clubs and side hustles, these are the strategies people use to make ends meet when stability feels out of reach.

Read the full story:

Coping, Not Waiting: How Zimbabweans Are Adapting to Economic Instability By Linda Mujuru By 7 a.m., Alice Makunya has already parked her car by the roadside in the high-density suburb of Southlea Park, boot open, packs of sugar, crates of eggs, cooking oil, and other foodstuffs stacked neatly insid...

15/01/2026

As schools reopened, long queues formed outside stationery shops not just because of rising prices, but because cash discounts were driving buying decisions. Parents were choosing hard currency over digital payments to stretch their limited budgets, even as the country pushes for a cashless economy.

Our latest feature explores why cash, especially foreign currency remains king in everyday transactions, the challenges this creates for families and retailers, and what it reveals about Zimbabwe’s broader financial landscape. Read the full story 👇

Cash at the Counter: Back-to-School Rush Reveals Zimbabwe’s Enduring Love Affair with Hard Currency By Staff Reporter By mid-morning on a narrow pavement outside a local stationery shop, parents and guardians were already crowded together. Some clutched dog-eared school lists, others discreetly co...

19/12/2025

🚨 New Investigation Published 🚨 “How Zimbabwe’s mushrooming medical laboratories are endangering lives” is now live on OpenLens Media Institute. This story investigates how the rapid growth of diagnostic laboratories across Zimbabwe, often operating with weak oversight and inconsistent standards, is exposing patients to misdiagnosis, delayed treatment, and higher healthcare costs, while raising serious public health concerns. The report highlights why stronger regulation and accountability in medical diagnostics are urgently needed to protect lives. 👉 Read the full story here:

How Zimbabwe’s mushrooming medical laboratories are endangering lives By Linda Mujuru When Paidamoyo Magawa was told she had malfunctioning kidneys early this year, she began treatment immediately.  For more than two weeks, Magawa took the prescribed medication, but her condition only worsened. ....

11/12/2025

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: Feature Writing Mentorship Programme
Open Lens Media Institute

Are you a journalism student passionate about telling powerful, human-centered stories? Do you want to sharpen your feature writing skills and get your work published on a credible news platform?

Open Lens Media Institute is excited to announce a Feature News Writing Mentorship Programme designed to help emerging journalists grow their craft and gain real newsroom experience.

What’s in it for you?
• One-on-one mentorship from experienced journalists
• Learn how to develop strong story ideas, structure compelling features, and interview with confidence
• Get editorial guidance from pitch to publication
• A chance to publish your final story on the Open Lens Media Institute website
• Boost your career prospects in investigative and feature journalism before you graduate.

📌 Who can apply?
Journalism and media students from any university or college in Zimbabwe who are eager to learn, committed to storytelling, and willing to work on a publishable feature story.

📌 How it works:
Shortlisted students will pitch story ideas, receive expert mentorship throughout the reporting process, and work collaboratively with editors to prepare their stories for publication.

📅 Deadline: 15 January 2026

Interested? Apply now and take your first step toward becoming a strong, impactful feature writer. Send your application (CV, short bio + one paragraph on why you want to join) to: [email protected]

Let your voice be heard. Let your story make a difference.
Open Lens Media Institute - Empowering the next generation of journalists.

11/12/2025

Once a lifeline for Harare, Lake Chivero is now choking on pollution,raw sewage, industrial waste, and toxic algae, which are harming local businesses and threatening livelihoods. Local groups and volunteers are fighting back, but the lake’s future hangs in the balance. Read our latest here:

Lake Chivero Pollution Crisis: How a Dying Lake Is Devastating Local Businesses and Livelihoods By Staff Reporter At first light, Kamba Caravan Park, one of the modest tourism spots on Lake Chivero’s shoreline, once woke to the sound of boat engines, anglers unpacking their rods and the smell of f...