Our projects in Zimbabwe

Action for better governance: realising the common good

Through this project we aim to help build the capacity of the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe to provide civic education to parishioners through church structures. This is with the ultimate aim of promoting accountable governance at the local level.

Duration: 2 years
Start date: June 2010
End date: May 2012

Principal local partners:
Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe

Principal funder(s):
CAFOD

RICA objectives*:

Theme 1: Participation and effective governance
Goal: Poor and marginalised people, especially women, will have greater influence on decisions and policies which affect their lives in order to reduce their poverty.

Objective 1.1: Influencing local government plans and policies
To empower and promote the voices of poor and marginalised communities, especially women, in order to increase local government transparency, accountability and responsiveness to those communities.

Objective 1.2: Influencing national government plans and policies
To empower and promote the voices of poor and marginalised communities, especially women, in order to increase national government transparency, accountability and responsiveness to those communities.

Expected results:

Result 1: To empower and promote the voices of the poor and marginalised communities, especially women, in order to increase local government transparency, accountability and responsiveness to those communities.

Result 2: To empower and promote the voices of poor and marginalised communities, especially women, in order to increase national government transparency, accountability and responsiveness to those communities.

Approx. cost p.a. (pounds sterling): £74,698

Managing HIV and AIDS in Zimbabwean prisons

The project aims to strengthen the ability of ZACRO and the Zimbabwe Prison Services in providing effective HIV and AIDS information and services to inmates and prison staff across the country’s prisons.

Duration: 3 years
Start date: January 2008
End date: March 2011

Principal local partners:
Zimbabwe Association for Crime Prevention and Rehabilitation of the Offender (ZACRO)

Principal funder(s):
British Embassy (Harare)

RICA objectives*:

Theme 3: HIV and AIDS
Goal: People who are affected by or vulnerable to HIV and AIDS will have greater access to care, support and prevention and there will be a reduction in the stigmatisation and discrimination they experience.

Objective 3.1: Rights for people affected by or vulnerable to HIV and AIDS
To promote the development and implementation of policies that protect the rights of specific vulnerable groups with regard to HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment and care.

Objective 3.2: Gender, stigma and HIV and AIDS
To inform and influence opinion formers to promote greater understanding of issues of gender, stigma and discrimination in order to protect and promote the rights of people affected by or vulnerable to HIV and AIDS.

Objective 3.3: Prevention of HIV and AIDS
To reduce unsafe behaviour among specific target groups related to HIV and AIDS.

Expected results:

Result 1: To promote the development and implementation of policies that protect the rights of inmates and prison officers with regard to HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment and care.

Result 2: To inform and influence Zimbabwe Prison Services to promote greater understanding of issues of gender, stigma and discrimination in order to protect and promote the rights of inmates and prison officers affected by or vulnerable to HIV and AIDS.

Result 3: To reduce unsafe behaviour among inmates and prison officers.

Approx. cost p.a. (pounds sterling): £44,692

Mitigating sexual and gender-based violence and HIV and AIDS among faith-based communities in Zimbabwe

The project aims to build the capacity of the National Faith Based Council of Zimbabwe and church leadership across all Christian churches in dealing with sexual and gender-based violence and reducing stigma and discrimination and raising awareness on HIV within the context of the Christian faith.

Duration: 5 years
Start date: December 2007
End date: December 2012

Principal local partners:
National Faith Based Council of Zimbabwe

Principal funder(s):
Progressio core funds

RICA objectives*:

Theme 3: HIV and AIDS
Goal: People who are affected by or vulnerable to HIV and AIDS will have greater access to care, support and prevention and there will be a reduction in the stigmatisation and discrimination they experience.

Objective 3.2: Gender, stigma and HIV and AIDS
To inform and influence opinion formers to promote greater understanding of issues of gender, stigma and discrimination in order to protect and promote the rights of people affected by or vulnerable to HIV and AIDS.

Expected results:

To inform and influence opinion formers within the church structures to promote greater understanding of issues of gender, stigma and discrimination in order to protect and promote the rights of people affected by or vulnerable to HIV and AIDS in Zimbabwe.

Approx. cost p.a. (pounds sterling): £75,133

Orphans and vulnerable children realising their full potential through child rights

The project is designed to respond to HIV and AIDS related issues impacting on children in childcare institutions, and to build the capacity of the partner organisation to advocate for and promote the rights of children.

Duration: 5 years
Start date: January 2008
End date: October 2013

Principal local partners:
Zimbabwe National Council for the Welfare of Children

Principal funder(s):
Progressio core funds (partly funded by the Jesuits)

RICA objectives*:

Theme 1: Participation and effective governance
Goal: Poor and marginalised people, especially women, will have greater influence on decisions and policies which affect their lives in order to reduce their poverty.

Objective 1.2: Influencing national government plans and policies
To empower and promote the voices of poor and marginalised communities, especially women, in order to increase national government transparency, accountability and responsiveness to those communities.

Theme 3: HIV and AIDS
Goal: People who are affected by or vulnerable to HIV and AIDS will have greater access to care, support and prevention and there will be a reduction in the stigmatisation and discrimination they experience.

Objective 3.1: Rights for people affected by or vulnerable to HIV and AIDS
To promote the development and implementation of policies that protect the rights of specific vulnerable groups with regard to HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment and care.

Expected results:

Result 1: To empower and promote the voices of poor and marginalised children in Zimbabwe in order to increase the national government’s transparency, accountability and responsiveness to their needs.

Result 2: To promote the development and implementation of policies that protect the rights of poor and marginalised children with regard to HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment and care in Zimbabwe.

Approx. cost p.a. (pounds sterling): tbc

Towards a new Zimbabwe – sharing skills for dialogue on pro-poor policies

This is a policy and advocacy project being implemented in partnership with the National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations and the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Zimbabwe. We have identified five policy areas where we intend to carry out policy research and develop policy proposals through monographs prepared following consultations with grassroots organisations whose work relates to the respective policy areas.

Duration: 2 years
Start date: April 2010
End date: March 2012

Principal local partners:
National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations
Institute of Development Studies – University of Zimbabwe

Principal funder(s):
European Commission

RICA objectives*:

Theme 1: Participation and effective governance
Goal: Poor and marginalised people, especially women, will have greater influence on decisions and policies which affect their lives in order to reduce their poverty.

Objective 1.2: Influencing national government plans and policies
To empower and promote the voices of poor and marginalised communities, especially women, in order to increase national government transparency, accountability and responsiveness to those communities.

Objective 1.3: Promoting democratic participation
To improve democratic processes and space where major deficits exist, especially in fragile and authoritarian states.

Objective 1.4: International advocacy on effective governance and participation
To achieve strong participation of pro-poor civil society organisations in institutional decision-making processes, in order that decisions are accountable to civil society and prioritise poor people.

Expected results:

Result 1: To empower and promote the voices of poor and marginalised communities in Zimbabwe, in order to increase national government transparency, accountability and responsiveness to those communities.

Result 2: To improve democratic processes and space where major deficits exist in Zimbabwe.

Result 3: To achieve strong participation of pro-poor civil society organisations in Zimbabwe on institutional decision-making processes, in order that decisions are accountable to civil society and prioritise poor people.

Approx. cost (euros): The total cost of the project is €199,765.

* RICA (Regular Impact and Capacity Assessment) is our monitoring and evaluation framework. You can read more about how we use this to measure progress and outcomes in our accountability framework. You can also read the ‘route map’ showing the impact and outcomes we are striving to achieve across all of our work, and the indicators and means of verification that we will use to measure our progress.