Simbarashe Crispen Kanyimo is a dedicated professional with over 15 years of experience in child protection, education, health program management, and research within humanitarian contexts. He has a proven history of enhancing service delivery for marginalized communities through working for organisations like the Norwegian Refugee Council and Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council 

Simbarashe is a researcher at the Child Rights Research Centre at Africa University and is in the final year of his Doctor of Philosophy in Child Rights at the same institution. His doctoral research focuses on the social and cultural determinants of child sexual abuse in Tongogara Refugee Settlement, Zimbabwe. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, his work aims to develop targeted interventions and policies to protect refugee children, grounded in child rights and intersectionality frameworks.

Simbarashe has participated in several impactful research projects. Notable examples include: The National Study on the Prevalence of School-Based Violence in Zimbabwe, conducted in collaboration with the Academic Research Centre and funded by Porticus ; A study on the Motivators and Barriers to Accessing Essential Health Care Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Zimbabwe, funded by UNICEF and The Rapid Assessment of the Impact of COVID-19 on Child Labour, Violence Against Children (VAC), and Gender-Based Violence (GBV)in Zimbabwe , also funded by UNICEF.

Simbarashe was part of the award-winning team that received the Research Council of Zimbabwe Presidential Community Innovation Award in 2024 for the project titled National Study on the Behavioural Uptake of the COVID-19 Vaccine, Routine Immunization, NCDs, and Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health and Nutrition Services in Zimbabwe in the Aftermath of the Pandemic.

Simbarashe also serves as the Executive Programs Coordinator at Tariro Trust, a role he has held since 2016. In this capacity, he leads collaborative initiatives in education, health, and child protection, managing annual budgets of up to $100,000 to support orphaned and vulnerable girls in Harare’s high-density suburbs. Under his leadership, Tariro has doubled its project reach, facilitated tertiary education for over a significant number of vulnerable girl students annually, and secured key partnerships to advance girls’ education and economic empowerment.

Previously, Simbarashe served as an Education Program Officer with the Norwegian Refugee Council, where he contributed to youth empowerment through vocational skills training, education in emergencies, and inclusive programming. He also played a key role in contextualizing the NRC’s flagship Youth Education Pack, transforming it into a community-based skills outreach program that impacted thousands of displaced youth.

Simbarashe holds a Master of Science in Child Rights and Childhood Studies from Africa University and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Communication Studies from Midlands State University. He has earned several professional certifications in areas such as Trauma Counselling, Systemic Family Counselling, International Refugee Law, Internal Displacement, and Protection in Urban Settings.

An accomplished researcher and advocate, Simbarashe has published on children’s rights, with a focus on legislative and governance frameworks in artisanal mining communities and feminist analysis of the African Mining Vision. His expertise, coupled with his commitment to evidence-based solutions, continues to drive impactful programs and policy reform for the most vulnerable populations