On October 11, 15-year-old Delisa, a sponsored child under Plan International Zimbabwe, took over the role of Managing Director at Securico Security Services as part of the International Day of the Girl celebrations.
For Delisa, who grew up in Epworth, Harare and accustomed to mostly interacting with her immediate family and friends as well teachers at school, this was her first encounter with the corporate world.
Her face lit up as soon as she set foot into the company’s head office in Workington, Harare. Echoes of warm greetings, “Good morning, MD” fueled her steps as she was ushered into the company boardroom.
Delisa delivers SHEQ talk
Before she could even settle down, it was time for weekly Safety, Health, Environment, and Quality (SHEQ) talk. With over 30 employees gathered in front of her, Delisa delivered her vision for the organisation, highlighting Securico’s motto for the year: “See it, Say it, and Sort it.”
“Support and protect your children from all forms of abuse. Empower them to lead and make positive decisions.”
Delisa
She encouraged the staff to uphold honesty, reliability, and openness in their work, receiving attentive silence and respect from the team—proof that she was truly being treated as the MD.
After the SHEQ talk, Delisa joined the Securico executives for the morning operations briefing, where key issues such as the company’s financial position, client feedback and security challenges were discussed. Sitting alongside the Chief Operations Officer, Delisa posed questions about the company’s strategies, including measures to prevent security breaches.
“What are you going to do to avoid a similar situation to the robbery that happened in Bulawayo where a security company lost US$4 million to armed robbers,” she asked.
Later, Delisa participated in a business development meeting, where she was briefed on preparations for an upcoming golf tournament organised to raise funds for the Devine Simbi Ndhlukula Foundation. She was updated on the progress and the remaining tasks ahead of the event.
Her call to action
In her final address to the Securico team, Delisa delivered a powerful message to the women in the organisation, calling on them to address challenges that girls like her face everyday.
“Let us recognise and address challenges that girls face everyday such as child marriage, limited access to sexual and reproductive health rights information and services, early pregnancies, and few opportunities for leadership and decision-making,” said Delisa.
She called on Securico employees to use their voices and influence to stand up for children, especially girls, and to actively fight against child marriages and teen pregnancies.
“Support and protect your children from all forms of abuse,” Delisa urged. “Be strong advocates for their rights, and, as parents, create open conversations with your children to understand their concerns. Empower them to lead and make positive decisions.”
About Girls Takeovers
Plan International facilitates takeovers of high-level offices by girls globally every year as part of its International Day of the Girl commemorations. The takeovers are an opportunity for girls to experience leadership and inspire them to occupy spaces of influence.
Besides Delisa, Plan International Zimbabwe facilitated 2 other takeovers with Vimbai, 17, taking over the role of United Kingdom Ambassador to Zimbabwe while Rebecca, 16, was Swedish Ambassador to Zimbabwe.
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