An outstanding woman, a leader, a mentor, Flossy Kandodo is a household name in Zimbabwe’s Diaspora community; A woman who does what she loves most, serves with a passion, has built one of the most solid powerful networks of women in the Diaspora. ZimEye.com interviews another Zimbabwean Legend…

1. Who is Flossy Kandodo?

Flossy Kandodo is a philanthropist, a positive influencial personality, a community champion, a member of the Board of Trustees for the Delaine Mukopfa Foundation (2015), Uhuru Workshop Facilitator (2014), Zimbabwe Achievers Award nominee (Personality, 2014), Founder of Ladies of UK, (2013), co founder of the Girl Child Network Trust (1998) and a Miss Malaika national finalist (2001).

With unquestionable levels of community involvement and interest, at the age of 18, Flossy was the youngest ever member of the National Gender Forum working alongside policy makers and government officials in facilitating gender development and equality in Zimbabwe.
A prize winning mountain biker and keen cyclist, Flossy cycled across the USA to raise money for victims of sexual and domestic abuse in Zimbabwe under Bike Aid 2000.
A mother of two, an MSc social work graduate, an academic and a wife, Florence dedicate her time to run Ladies of UK, a Facebook  Group based on liberal feminism, women empowerment and community enterprise.
The group celebrates success and embraces aspiration and dignity, integrity and power while supporting Zimbabwean women in UK with immigration issues, social, socio-emotional issues, employment and training options. Ladies of UK has a vision of combating social exclusion, isolation, and reducing the effects of poverty, bereavement, ill health and isolation and offers emotional, practical and financial support accordingly.
Flossy took a leading role in the fundraising initiative for the housing of a homeless Mbare family of quads babies and is currently supporting human rights activist Linda Musarira and her family while she is in prison through Ladies of UK.

Most of her time is spent offering individual therapeutic, confidential interventions and counselling including signposting and offering step by step guide in supporting Zimbabwean families to thrive in a second home country. Flossy’s passions are endless and indeed, the sky is the limit.
2. Tell us about your journey. How did you get to the United Kingdom?
I came to UK to join my husband, so basically I am an import of passion, lol.
3. Women in the Diaspora face a plethora of challenges. Which ones would you identify as needing urgency in response?
British Immigration law, policies and delays in asylum decisions play a major role in problem creation for the Zimbabwean and migrant population in general. These include forced unemployment which leads to poverty and socioeconomic exclusion as well as family breakdown and deteriorating emotional and mental health. Alcohol and substance abuse among the migrant population is also linked to steep immigration rules combined with isolation is a root cause of most challenges. Isolation and social exclusion increases vulnerability. Upon reflection, men and women who are isolated are more likely to be vulnerable to alcohol and substance misuse, domestic abuse, emotional and mental health issues as well accidental and premature death. Since the establishment of Ladies Of UK, Zimbabwean women in UK have become more empowered, more knowledgeable, more confident and have formed a variety of support groups and affiliations that support women with common needs
4. There is one issue of domestic violence or passion killings, reported cases of the most vile murders of women by men they are in love with or married to. Why and how is this going on?
Zimbabwean migrants into the UK face a huge shift in cultural dynamics which conflict to those from the Bantu subcontinent. Traditionally, Zimbabwean men had to provide for the family while women look after the home. Contrary to life in UK where equality is the order of the day, women are able to seek work, skilled or unskilled, and make a living. Universities fund nursing and social work which are predominantly female carers, therefore women had a better start at employment. Also, unskilled jobs like caring and live-in care jobs favours women than men. Most care jobs have elderly female patients (who prefer female carers); therefore, employment in the care sector favours women, leaving migrant men economically excluded. This economic exclusion disempowers the men, thereby collapsing the patriarchal hierarchy and placing the matriarch on the top. The collapse of the patriarch and imminent replacement with hardworking patriarch creates a feral and territorial spirit, which, for some, stands to self-destruct or destroy anything that threatens the territory.

• Family and relationship breakdown is an area which Zimbabwean men since time immemorial have had the pleasure to be the proponents. The notion of ‘peka uende’ (pack and go) belongs to the men, it has always been a man’s decision to call off a marriage and stay in the matrimonial home and bring a new woman in. However, tables have turned and UK systems support the most vulnerable, women and children and as such, the men is the one who has to leave the home. Unlike in Zimbabwe where the aunts and ambuyas would gather and support their muzukurukadzi (niece) through a separation, UK men who have been served with the ‘peka uende’ notion do not know how to handle such situations. The culture has a missing chapter on how men should handle kurambwa, (separation and loss). The traditional ‘dare’ served to empower the men and rub their egos, preparing them for dominance and control; failure was never expected, men were warriors and meant to be tough. Our culture was never equipped for strong female bread winners and as such, the community need to come together and accept reversal of roles in supporting nurturing and loving marriages. Men lack support systems after family breakdown and they have their pride and temper and bruised egos to content with and from all that, massive aggression and loath builds up, leading to crimes of passion.