Zimbabwe Launches Rerai Umntwana Parenting App to Support Caregivers with Trusted, Evidence-Based Guidance.

Zimbabwean caregivers have a powerful new ally in raising healthy children. Today, the Ministry of Health and Child Care, alongside UNICEF and the Government of Japan, officially launched 'Rerai Umntwana.' This innovative parenting app serves as a one-stop digital resource, offering reliable, expert advice on child health, safety, and development to families across the country.

The application comes at a critical time when nearly one in four children under the age of five is stunted, not growing and developing to their full potential, and another 4.3 percent suffers from life-threatening waste.

As digital connectivity surges, caregivers face a new challenge: filtering the noise. The same platforms that provide vital health data are also amplifying misleading advice, overwhelming parents with a confusing mix of fact and fiction regarding their children's development.

Rerai Umntwana therefore aims to bridge the information gap related to childcare, by providing credible, verifiable information from local and international experts, covering a wide range of critical areas from child nutrition, immunization, pregnancy and breastfeeding, developmental milestones and the importance of positive parenting- parenting in your pocket.

The challenge impacts families across the country but is intensified in urban areas, driven by the relentless flow of unchecked and often misleading information on digital platforms. Rerai Umntwana, a unification of Shona and Ndebele words, meaning “Nurture the Child” embodies the diversity of Zimbabwean social and cultural parenting norms and has been developed to complement and strengthen existing health facility and community-based interventions. The application equips caregivers with trusted, easy-to-understand parenting guidance that promotes healthier, safer, and more stimulating environments for children from pregnancy, birth and early childhood.

In addition, Rerai Umntwana reinforces Zimbabwe’s ongoing efforts to improve child survival, reduce malnutrition, and promote early childhood development outcomes nationwide. It serves as an important tool for frontline health workers, community-based volunteers, and parents—ensuring that critical messages delivered at facilities and in communities are consistently reinforced in the home.

Etona Ekole, the UNICEF Zimbabwe Representative said: “Rerai Umntwana is a strong example of how Government leadership, strategic partnerships and digital innovation can come together to deliver results for children. By supporting the Ministry of Health and Child Care to provide caregivers with trusted, evidence-based information, we are strengthening national systems, countering misinformation and advancing Zimbabwe’s priorities for child survival, nutrition and early childhood development—ensuring that every child has the best possible start in life.”

Developed with funding from the Government of Japan, and through a collaborative process involving health and child development experts, Rerai Umntwana reflects global best practices and aligns with national policies on maternal, newborn, and child health. The application is available on Google Playstore and the Apple Appstore, it is accessible offline once downloaded, user-friendly, and available in formats designed to reach caregivers regardless of location or literacy level. Users can also switch the language from English to either Shona or Ndebele, depending on their preferences.

As the country continues to advance digital innovation in the health and social sectors, the launch of the Rerai Umntwana Parenting Application represents a significant milestone in strengthening support systems for Zimbabwean families. By leveraging technology to enhance access to accurate and timely parenting information, we move closer to ensuring that every child in Zimbabwe grows up healthy, protected, and ready to learn. This application also aligns with Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy 2, which emphasizes expanding ICT access to close the urban‑rural digital divide. Through this initiative, we aim to accelerate digital transformation in health and reinforce the systems that safeguard the wellbeing of our children.

We encourage all stakeholders, caregivers, health workers, private mobile network operators and development partners to adopt and promote the use of Rerai Umntwana as a vital resource for improving child health and parental well-being nationwide ensuring that no-one and no-place is left behind.