Meet the Vovorians

VOVO Organisational Structure

VOVO is a non-hierarchical organisation; that is, the organisation does not have a traditional hierarchy of power and decision making. There are no managers or directors, but rather, a dedicated team. There are three functional teams: Documentation & Media, Finance, and Programmes.

  • The Documentation Team’s role is to capture, record, store, package and use information (e.g., images, videos, audio, etc.) and any material that raises visibility of the organisation and its work online and offline and creating content for its social media platforms.
  • The Finance Team is responsible for financial management and all administration and human resources for the organisation.
  • The Programmes Team’s role is to plan, coordinate, resource, implement, and report on projects and programmes of VOVO.

This structure allows for teams and individuals to self-manage. Power is distributed evenly throughout the collective and decisions are made collectively based on consensus.

Documentation & Media
Finance
Programmes

Meet the Team

VOVO continues to grow and thrive thanks to a dedicated and energetic team. There are three teams who work together to achieve VOVO’s vision: Documentation & Media, Finance, and Programmes. These teams work with an equally dedicated and capable board of trustees. 

At the heart of the VOVO team is the LBQT community whose dreams, voices, commitment and dedication are central to the organisation’s work and identity. 

VOVO is a diverse team that also includes allies, friends, family, partners, consultants, and grant partners. We welcome all who share in our vision: the pursuit of equality of all people and the fight against discrimination.

Carol

Carol is a young Zimbabwean woman who is a feminist who believes that the emancipation of women is a key step towards a better world. She has been a tattoo artist for the past 10 years. She also creates other art forms specifically working on batik painting and as a poet. She has a passion for understanding the different ways in which patriarchy plays out in society, particularly within the LGBTQI+ community. She strongly believes that alliances can be built among marginalised communities through understanding the intersectionality of their struggles. She is a fitness enthusiast and former professional dancer.

Maroe

Maroe is a feminist and an LGBQTI rights activist, who joined VOVO in February 2014. They are the Admin and Logistics officer for VOVO whose role is to provide Administrative and Logistics support for the organisation. Their vision is to help create an environment for LGBQTI persons in Zimbabwe that is non-discriminatory and conducive for them to live their lives to the fullest. Maroe is passionate about visual arts. Their art is the destruction of stigma and discrimination of LGBQTI persons, the collapse of traditional ways of life that portray society and political injustice, cultural and religious conflict and pressure which affects LGBQTI persons. Maroe is a former athlete and a former coach of women’s soccer.

Miles

Miles is a programmes officer at VOVO. This role involves coordinating and implementing projects and liaising with the organisation’s stakeholders at various levels among other responsibilities. 
Miles is a human rights activist from Zimbabwe focusing on social justice, promoting inclusion, amplifying visibility of LGBQTI persons and creating safe spaces for sexual and gender minorities particularly within the women’s movement, youth spaces and society as a whole. They are a feminist and believe in the equality of people and a just society that respects and celebrates diversity.  

Miles is passionate about storytelling for social change, poetry and is a digital media enthusiast.
 
Their pronouns are them/they/theirs.

Papah

Papah is one of the founding members of Voice of the Voiceless (VOVO). Papah is one of the documentation officers at VOVO where she documents the lived experiences of LBQTI persons, activities, events to promote evidence-based advocacy, historical record of LBQT existence and experiences and increasing voice and visibility of marginalized communities.

Before she became an activist she was a soccer player, and athletics was her passion. She hung her boots as she felt the girl child didn’t get enough support in sports like a boy child and became a feminist activist to empower and support women and create and change systems and spaces to enable women to advocate for their rights. Papah is passionate about photography and music.

Shaez

Shaez is one of the founding members of Voice of the Voiceless. She works as the Finance and Administration Officer. Her job includes (but is not limited to) handling the financial and administrative activities of the organisation, human resources and assisting with fund raising and other general activities of the organisation. 

Before the conception of VOVO, Shaez worked as a Paralegal Officer at the Sexual Rights Centre (a human rights organisation also based in Bulawayo). She mostly worked with sex worker stakeholders in supporting them seek legal assistance in various matters such as assault by clients, domestic violence, maintenance and other small claims issues. Her job also involved documenting human rights violations perpetrated against sex workers and the LGBTI community in Bulawayo and other areas where the organisation works.

By profession Shaez is a Secondary School Teacher and has had just over 2 years of teaching experience at a rural school in Matabeleland South. 

She is a staunch human rights defender and her passion is to see the rights of all human beings recognised, promoted and protected.

Sku

Sku is one of the founding members of Voice of the Voiceless (VOVO). She works as a Documentation Officer and in addition is also responsible for all things relating to safety and security within the organisation. She is a human rights activist championing the rights of women and LGBTQI persons in Zimbabwe and Southern Africa.

Sku is an award winning artivist who uses visual art as an activism tool and has taken part in international art workshops, art festivals and artist in residencies representing her country. She is also a trainer in Digital Storytelling and has trained LGBTQI persons and sex workers in Zimbabwe. 
Her art is an exposure of a woman’s feelings and experiences in a judgmental world that labels and stereotypes people and perpetuates social and political inequality and injustice.