Re-imagining Reproduction (Re-Re) Project organizes rotational country visits for post-doc fellows every year. In all visits, the post-doc fellows are given the mantle to lead the entire process from conceptualization of the conference theme to actualization of the conference. In June 2024, we (Re-Re Team) were hosted by a postdoc fellow from Zimbabwe. I visited Zimbabwe between 25th to 28th June 2024. I arrived in Zimbabwe on the 25th of June 2024 evening at Bronte Garden Hotel Harare. The choice of place for accommodation was good. The environment was cool with fresh air from the trees in the compound. Though it was cold in Zimbabwe. I had all my warm clothes as was advised earlier before travel by the host. At night the Zimbabwe team took us out for dinner. I was not so shocked to see sex workers along the streets, However, what surprised me was how the ladies stood in the cold wearing micro-mini skirts waiting for their clients. We were taken to a restaurant that served us with fresh food. Together with my colleague from Kenya and the host team, we enjoyed our food (meat and ugali). We joked, there is no difference in food compared to what we eat in Kenya.

It was in Zimbabwe that I first physically met a new cohort of the additional postdoctoral fellows in the project. The fellows were vibrant and were also happy to meet us. Zimbabwe Team had a wonderful conference package for engaging activities, meeting new people and scholars working on reproduction from Zimbabwe was a good experience for us fellows. 

Our first visit was to the Women’s University in Africa on 26th June 2024. This is one of the collaborations that Re-Re formed in Zimbabwe. We met lecturers and students at this university. As a way of giving back to the Zimbabwe community, the PIs in our project gave a presentation on academic writing and publishing. It was an interesting conversation that was almost not ending. We had a long fruitful debate on predatory journals, how to identify them and why it is important to publish in a recognized peer-reviewed journal. At the university, we had roles of meeting different cohorts of scholars and students for another round of discussion. The reception and feedback from them was good.

The next two days we had a conference at Bronte Garden Hotel Harare with a powerful opening session with a keynote speech from a seasoned scholar Prof. Rudo B. Gaidzanwa. Afterwards, we had presentations from different scholars. I learnt how other scholars ‘conceived change’. I listened carefully to how scholars presented varying 

Later we went to an exhibition at Nhaka Gallery where I listened to different speakers. At the exhibition, we saw various photovoice and murals on reproduction. One presentation that struck me during the exhibition was from a lady who narrated a poem challenging inequity in access to reproductive health services though it was in the local language, I got a translation from my colleague… ‘male condoms are free and sanitary towels are bought’. We stayed till late.

On our way to the hotel, I was shocked to see young men selling sex Viagra publicly. My Zimbabwean colleague told me it is a normal thing though it was against the law but it was a normal black-market in Harare and other parts of Zimbabwe. Our last day in Zimbabwe was memorable as we went for dinner together and we shared stories during the mean. Indeed, the Zimbabwe team did an amazing job and the conference was very successful.