Working with partners we have:

  • promoted agro-ecology and sustainable, equitable farming approaches and access to markets in order to increase quality of life for poor and marginalised people;
  • worked to ensure that poor people have sustained and equitable access to natural resources through sustainable management of forests and water;
  • promoted the voices of the poor and marginalised communities, especially women, in order to increase local and national government transparency, accountability and responsiveness to those communities;
  • contributed towards the reduction of new HIV infections among disabled people through HIV and AIDS information for visually and hearing impaired persons. 

Conserving our land, producing our food

The project aimed to improve the quality of life of poor and marginalised people in Zimbabwe through more equitable and more sustainable management of natural resources, especially in the light of climate change and resource scarcity.  The main project activities included: 

  • Setting up farmer field schools on agro-ecology
  • Promoting the adoption of soil and water conservation farming techniques by the communal farmers
  • Training farmers on food processing, value addition and preservation techniques
  • Setting up and training Village Savings and Loans groups
  • Setting up and training Environment Action Groups (EACs) on the management of natural resources
  • Training Environment Africa field officers on agro-ecology, marketing and business development, and lobbying and advocacy
  • Engagement of EACs with the local and district authorities on environmental legislation/by-laws
  • Advocacy - producing policy briefs, agro-ecology manuals and publications on agro -cology and product development
  • Documentation of case studies and success stories on successful initiatives for sharing and replication

 

Start date: May 2012

End date: April 2015

Partner organisations: Environment Africa Zimbabwe

Locations: Guruve, Nyanga, Zvimba

Funded by the Big Lottery Fund

This project was also implemented in Salima district in Malawi.

Action for better governance

This project ensured that poor and marginalised people, especially women, have greater influence on the decision and policies which affect their lives, in order to reduce their poverty. This was done through building the capacity of Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) and working directly with church leaders and community members to help them engage with local government. 

The main project activities included:

  • Training of CCJP personnel and parish members on good governance, research, policy analysis and advocacy techniques;
  • Training for bishops and other church leaders accountable governance and efffective strategies to influence government policy and practice;
  • Awareness-raising initiatives on civic education and rights,good governance etc. for community members through school based training, youth theatre and literacy programmes;
  • Supporting the establishment of faith-secular partnerships - bringing together Catholic church leaders and those from secular organisations that work on governance programmes to promote synergy between this project and other initiatives around governance in the country.

Project achievements include: 

  • improved local government transparency, accountability and responsiveness to the communities they serve;
  • strengthened the capacities of CCJPZ at national and diocesan level to carry out awareness and advocacy training;
  • improved access to water in order to reduce the burden of fetching water which often fall on women and youth;
  • increased participation in democratic processes of women and youth;
  • enhanced engagement between communities and local councillors/leaders.

 

Start date: August 2011

End date: May 2014

Partner organisation: Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP)

Location: Chinhoyi diocese in Mashonaland West

Hear our voice! Speaking out for HIV services and care support

This project aimed to reduce stigma and increase access to HIV care, support and prevention among poor and at-risk-groups, specifically employees of medium and small enterprises, truck drivers, prisoners and children vulnerable to HIV and AIDS. Working with partners this project: 

  • Increased HIV knowledge, reduced stigma and discrimination in the target groups
  • Provided care and support to groups vulnerable to HIV, including inmates, prison officers and long-distance truck drivers;
  • Increased the voice, influence and capacity of people living with HIV, vulnerable groups and their representative organisations to represent their rights and improve service delivery and policies that affect their lives;
  • Increased access to prevention and care services
  • Reduced the level of stigma and discrimination by promoting the development and implementation of workplace policies and programmes in small/informal companies and in the transport ssector;
  • Increased the capacity of the local implementing partners to improve their response to the needs of PLHIV and those most vulnerable to HIV. 

 

Start date: August 2011

End date: August 2014

Partner organisations:

Zimbabwe Association of Crime Prevention and Rehabilitation of the Offender (ZACRO)

Zimbabwe National Council for the Welfare of Children (ZNCWC)

Zimbabwe AIDS Prevention and Support Organisation (ZAPSO)

National Employment Council for the Transport Operating Industry (NECTOI)

Locations: Countrywide

Funded by Comic Relief