Zimbabwe: new country director appointed

Kevin Ndemera (43) a development worker for Progressio, has been appointed country representative for Zimbabwe.
 
Kevin, who lives in Harare with his family, has worked for Progressio since January and before that worked with Plan International in the Cameroon.

In Zimbabwe much of Progressio's work has been centred on HIV/AIDS. According to the government of Zimbabwe and UNAIDS, the country has seen a dramatic reduction in the HIV prevalence rate from a peak of 33 per cent a few years ago to 15.6 per cent today.

'Although we are not at the crisis levels of infection that we were a few years ago, HIV is a huge concern in Zimbabwe,' says Kevin.

Much of Kevin's work will focus on HIV. Progressio and its partners currently work with a network of 70 child welfare organisations that care for 4-5,000 orphans and vulnerable children.

It also supports partners helping implement testing and treatment for those with HIV in the workplace, and in prisons.

'We need to ensure that treatment is available for people,' says Kevin.

'We do not have time to lose. We have a generation of children that are growing up. We want to give them an education and a sense that they have something to live for after their education is completed.

'We need them to feel economically secure in Zimbabwe, not wanting to leave the country after they have finished their studies.'