Mwana Trust Zimbabwe is a community-based organization located in Mutare, dedicated to promoting peace, non-violence, and unity among children and young people. Through the implementation of peace clubs in local primary and secondary schools, the organization creates spaces for dialogue and interactive learning. Its work is driven by a strong belief that young people can become ambassadors of peace within their schools and communities when given the right tools and support.

This year, Mwana Trust MasterPeace Zimbabwe is especially proud of its project “Voices of Peace in Action.” Through this initiative, the organization established and strengthened peace clubs across schools in its operating area. The project proved to be both cost-effective and well-supported by school administrations and students, making it easier to engage learners and deliver meaningful peace education. The main objective was to address growing challenges such as bullying, conflict, and even suicidal thoughts among students. By creating safe spaces for discussion and reflection, the initiative contributed to reducing conflict and promoting positive behavior among learners.

The project was designed in response to an urgent need for more peaceful and supportive learning environments. Many students struggle with managing emotions, resolving conflicts, and maintaining healthy peer relationships. Through structured sessions, learners from different age groups were given the opportunity to explore these challenges and develop practical skills for building peace within themselves and their surroundings. Their enthusiasm and openness to learning highlighted how important and timely this intervention was.

One inspiring example comes from Keisha, a student at Rock of Ages High School. She shared how the sessions helped her better manage her anger, as she used to be short-tempered. Her story reflects the deeper impact of the project — not just in theory, but in real-life behavioral change.

“Before joining the peace club, I’d explode over tiny things. One day, a classmate, Kerry-Paula, pushed me in line and I almost fought her. But then I remembered our peace educator’s words: ‘Pause, breathe, and choose.’ I took a deep breath and calmly told her how I felt,” Keisha said.

This moment illustrates how the lessons learned in the peace clubs are being applied in everyday situations. It shows that when young people are equipped with the right tools, they are capable of making conscious, positive choices that contribute to a more peaceful environment.

Mwana Trust’s work is also closely connected to the global MasterPeace network. Through its peace clubs, the organization contributes to a worldwide movement that promotes dialogue, tolerance, and non-violence. By sharing tools, experiences, and learnings with other countries, local actions in Zimbabwe become part of a larger collective impact. This connection reinforces the idea that even small initiatives at the community level can contribute to global change.

Being part of this international network gives Mwana Trust a strong sense of belonging. It connects their efforts in Mutare to a global community of changemakers who are working toward the same vision of a more peaceful world. Through these exchanges, they are reminded that their work matters and that their impact goes beyond their immediate environment.

Looking ahead, Mwana Trust envisions schools and communities where peace, respect, and understanding are not just ideals, but everyday practices. Their dream is to see empowered young people leading positive change as ambassadors of non-violence in their homes, schools, and society.

Their message for the future is simple yet powerful: peace begins with each one of us — through our words, actions, and attitudes. By working together, communities can become stronger, safer, and more united, creating a foundation for lasting peace for generations to come.

In 2024, MasterPeace developed Mosaic of Minds with support from the Janssensfonds. The goal was simple yet powerful: bring the international MasterPeace network closer to young people in the Netherlands and create meaningful dialogue with youth from other countries.

The concept is built around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), encouraging young people to reflect on global challenges through their own experiences.

For the first pilot, the theme was Freedom.

What does freedom really mean?

For some young people, it may mean the freedom to choose their career. For others, it may mean the freedom to express their opinions, move safely in their community, or access education. Freedom is universal, yet deeply shaped by where we live.

Through MasterPeace's Mosaic of Minds (MoM) initiative, young people are discovering that understanding this difference can change the way they see the world.

Voices From Different Worlds

Participants aged 16–24 began by exploring what freedom means in their own communities. They spoke with guest speakers, conducted interviews, and researched the topic. Then they turned their reflections into short videos.

These videos were not just assignments—they were windows into real lives.

Students from Noorderpoort College in the Netherlands shared their perspectives alongside youth from MasterPeace clubs in Zimbabwe, Ecuador, India, and Bangladesh.

Each video told a story of freedom shaped by culture, opportunity, and everyday realities.

Netherlands

Zimbabwe

https://youtu.be/CufPzIwFkw8

Ecuador :

https://youtu.be/K0A7x59fGFghttps://youtu.be/_1woxbkTrcQhttps://youtu.be/cQyLeSysBn4https://youtu.be/uE2loF7w6QI

India :

https://youtu.be/-TJeBHanqfM

Bangladesh :

https://youtu.be/OiH83B-sFxk

A Shift in Perspective

After creating their own videos, participants watched those produced by their peers across the world.

This was the moment when something powerful happened.

Young people began asking themselves new questions:

• Is our local way of thinking as obvious as we assumed?
• Why does freedom look so different somewhere else?
• What can we learn from each other?

Through these reflections, participants discovered that their perspectives were only one piece of a much larger global picture.

From Awareness to Global Citizenship

Mosaic of Minds does more than connect classrooms. It builds empathy, curiosity, and critical thinking. In addition, it develops the young mind's capacity to think (brainstorm on a theme), engage (discuss in a group or with peers, creating storylines for videos), and empower (create perspective, learn to shoot, edit, and narrate in video format).

By seeing the world through each other’s eyes, young people begin to understand both the privileges and challenges that shape different lives. They learn that global challenges are shared, but solutions can emerge when people listen to one another.

The first pilots in 2025 created a meaningful international and visual dialogue—one that helped participants step outside their own “bubble” and see the world more broadly.

The Road Ahead

The results have been encouraging. The combination of personal storytelling through video and international reflection has proven to be a powerful learning experience.

Now MasterPeace is exploring ways to expand the Mosaic of Minds beyond schools and into community spaces, so even more young people can participate.

Because when young people learn to listen to voices beyond their borders, they do more than understand the world better.

If you are inspired or curious about this project, we are more than happy to collaborate with you. 

Change begins when young people are given space to express themselves and when someone believes they can.

Our next story comes from the Netherlands, where MasterPeace implemented the Master Your Life in July 2025 at Zuid-West College in The Hague. The project brought together students with a refugee background — young people who had recently arrived, navigating a new environment while searching for belonging and direction.

Under the theme “Master Your Life,” the project invited them to explore what health really means. Not only physical wellbeing, but also nutrition, safety, social connection, and participation in society.

From Expression to Action

Working in mixed groups, students connected through creativity. Through workshops in music, cooking, photography, and sports, they shared stories, built trust, and began shaping ideas for social initiatives.

What started as activities quickly became something more: a space where young people could collaborate, feel seen, and discover their ability to contribute.

A Moment of Real Connection

The most powerful impact came through their interaction with residents of a local care home (WZH).

Students prepared meals, created music, and developed personal portraits for the elderly residents. What could have been a simple activity turned into something deeply human — a moment where two generations, each carrying their own experiences, met through creativity and care.

There was no barrier of age, language, or background. There was a connection.

Sharing Their Voice

The week concluded with a community market fair, where students presented their projects and reflections. For many, it was the first time they shared their ideas publicly as contributors.

Why It Matters

Master Your Life is a reminder that when young people — especially those facing displacement and uncertainty — are given the right environment. They create. They connect. They give back.

And in doing so, they strengthen the communities around them.

This story is part of the MasterPeace Impact Series — where we share how small moments of connection grow into lasting impact.

In the MasterPeace Impact Series we aim to show the real impact behind our work. We share the moments when people come together and turn ideas into action.

This story comes from Romania, where a new generation of young changemakers is stepping forward through the Year of Volunteering 2026.

On February 20, around 50 young participants gathered at Zbor Hub Ploiești to mark the official start of a year dedicated to volunteering, collaboration, and community impact. Organized by MasterPeace Romania, together with MasterPeace București and MasterPeace Brașov, and in partnership with Asociația Eurospirit Ploiești, the event brought together young people ready to move from intention to action.

What Volunteering Means Today

During a dynamic workshop led by certified trainers Adrian Ion and Andrei Ioniță, participants explored an important question: what does volunteering really mean today?

In just 100 minutes, conversations moved from personal motivation to community responsibility. Young people reflected on how small initiatives such as helping a neighbor, organizing a local activity, supporting a community project — can grow into meaningful change when people act together.

For many participants, the session was the moment they realized their ideas and energy can shape the communities they live in.

From Intention to Impact

The event marked the beginning of a broader journey. The Year of Volunteering 2026 aims to inspire more young people to engage with their communities, develop leadership skills, and create initiatives that bring people together.

Through workshops, activities, and collaborations, MasterPeace clubs in Romania are building a space where volunteering becomes more than a concept — it becomes a way of life.

Looking Ahead

For the young people who gathered in Ploiești, the message was simple: change starts with action.

The Year of Volunteering has only just begun, but the energy in the room made one thing clear — when young people are given space, trust, and encouragement, they are ready to step forward and make a difference.

Because every act of volunteering, no matter how small, has the power to strengthen a community.

This story is part of the MasterPeace Impact Series, where we share how local initiatives grow into meaningful impact — one community at a time.