AMANDA Chenai Makombe, creative strategist at Kumbe kumbe Arts Trust, says their organisation was born out of the urgent need to create safe, expressive spaces and community palatable information for young people in Chitungwiza, a community often overlooked in national cultural discourse.
She recalled that Kumbe Kumbe Arts started informally as a gathering of young creatives and storytellers who use poetry, paintings and music to express their struggles and hopes.
Established in 2020, Kumbe Kumbe’s core mission is to harness the power of the arts to ignite social consciousness placing arts, culture and creative practice at the heart of every piece of work.
“We embed civic education in our creative processes. Whether it is through community clean-up campaigns, voter education murals or youth forums on constitutional rights — we position creativity as a tool for social responsibility,” Makombe told NewsDay Life & Style.
“Art is our native language, accessible, emotional and deeply rooted in tradition. In a politically tense and economically marginalised place like Chitungwiza, conventional forms of advocacy often fall short or face resistance.
“But art opens hearts before it opens minds. Through storytelling, murals and performances, we can safely unpack complex issues, reimagine futures and inspire action in a way that feels authentic and empowering.”
She added: “Young people here face intersecting challenges unemployment, political silencing, substance abuse, early pregnancies and a general lack of safe, creative spaces.
“Many are disillusioned and disconnected with few role models or platforms that recognise their potential. There is also a lack of access to mental health support leaving youth vulnerable to cycles of despair.”
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Makombe said Kumbe Kumbe’s Open Street Café and Creative clubs painting project helped to reshape youth behaviour and mindset, adding that these initiatives offered more than just art as they provided purpose and a platform for interaction.
“The Open Street Café is an open mic space where young people speak their truth through poetry, music and theatre, transforming passive frustration into active reflection. It’s also a knowledge sharing platform,” she said.
“The Mhururu mural project invites youth to co-create public art that addresses community issues, giving them a sense of pride and ownership. These experiences shift mindsets from apathy to agency.
“The Art against Gender-Based Violence promotes school-based prevention using art as a form of awareness and collective information sharing on forms of gender-based violence as well as referral pathways.”
Makombe bragged that she has more success stories to tell than anything else and one of her immediate example was Ishmael, a former graffiti artist, who, after participating in the Kumbe Kumbe Arts Trust mural programme, launched a community-based design studio offering painting and mural services.
Another is Vimbai, a poet who found her voice through Open Street Café and now leads spoken word impromptu across pool tables in Chitungwiza and she is mentoring other young women.
“We use metaphors, symbolism and storytelling rooted in local culture. Rather than preach, we provoke thought often through dramatised real-life scenarios or satirical skits that spark dialogue,” Makombe said.
“Our approach is respectful, engaging and non-judgemental. It invites audiences to reflect and respond rather than react defensively.
“We integrate SRH [sexual and reproductive health] into our work through theatre, visual art and creative workshops. For example, our Body Dialogues drawing series addresses topics like consent, menstruation stigma and access to contraception.”
Kumbe Kumbe Arts Trust’s vision is to establish an art and tech incubation hub (paGoshto), a centre for creative learning, digital innovation and civic engagement.
“When we nurture artistic expression, we unlock confidence, critical thinking and leadership,” Makombe said.
“To parents and educators: creativity is not a distraction from success, it is the path to it.
“To community leaders: invest in youth voices because they are not just the future — they are the creative force shaping the present.”
