Efforts of Interaction Member Agencies
in Zimbabwe

December 2001 Map of Zimbabwe Background Summary Report Summary Organizations by Sector Activity Glossary of Acronyms

Map of Zimbabwe

Background Summary

The established ruling dynasty in most of Zimbabwe until the 1440s was the Mwene Mutapa nation under King Mutota. In the sixteenth century, the Portuguese arrived and conflict broke out, weakening the empire. By 1690, the Portuguese had been driven away, but much of the land formerly under the Mwene Mutapa was now controlled by Shona-speaking tribes which came together to form the Rowzi empire. Emerging from the south in 1834, the Nbedele tribe took over leadership of the empire. Within a few years, the number of European explorers seeking gold and ivory significantly increased with the encouragement of Cecil John Rhodes, a British imperialist and diamond miner. Rhodes facilitated the arrival of thousands of white settlers and united them under the auspices of the British South Africa Company. The areas now known as Zambia and Zimbabwe were named Northern and Southern Rhodesia, after the British leader.

Late in the nineteenth century, the Nbedele and Shona tribes of Southern Rhodesia revolted against the European occupation. But in 1897, the leaders of both groups were hung. Just prior to their deaths, British rule denied blacks the right to vote and limited black land ownership. Colonists passed legislation in the 1920s that prevented blacks from owning the best farmland. White settlers then took over seventy percent of the arable land to establish large farms. In 1964, Ian Smith was elected Prime Minister of Rhodesia and pushed for independence, declaring an independent country in 1968, without British consent. It was not until Margaret Thatcher’s government that independence was acknowledged, and then formally declared in 1980.

Robert Mugabe, a Marxist and member of the ZANU-PF party was elected president in 1980. He has remained in that office for more than two decades. The opposition party, MDC (Movement for Democratic Change), has accused him of election tampering and harsh practices such as expelling journalists for “undermining his authority.” Mugabe, who is now over seventy-five years old, faces criticism for his response to the land reform crisis and the effects his policies have had on the economies of neighboring countries.

Continued anxiety and violence has followed the February 2000 farm seizures. Violence against white land owners in the past eighteen months has resulted in nine deaths, kidnapping and torture of both black and white farmers, and the confiscation of identity documents belonging to white citizens. Black farmers demand land reform to compensate for past injustices, while white farmers claim rights to the land they have occupied for almost three generations. Most recently, a land reform effort was agreed, with over 2.5 million hectares of land designated for redistribution from commercial farmers in the CFU (Commercial Farmer’s Union) to black farmers. Compensation to white landowners will be made by the British government and the land will be redistributed to black farmers by officials of the GOZ.

For the last three years Zimbabwe has experienced an economic recession. Unemployment is high and inflation has risen dramatically. Citizens have been hit by a devaluation of currency and rising prices for basic commodities. The disruption of agricultural production due not only to the crisis, but also to frequent alternation of flooding and drought, has left supplies low and demand high. South Africa blamed the land crisis in Zimbabwe for its own devalued currency. The coalition SADC (Southern African Development Community), currently headed by President Bakili Muluzi of Malawi, explained that its involvement in the land reform proceedings was promoted by concern that the violence and economic decline were beginning to negatively affect countries surrounding Zimbabwe. The land crisis has discouraged foreign investment and caused greater economic distress. As a result, the countries of the SADC wants to resolve the crisis as soon as possible to avoid further economic decline.

Racial tensions remain high and violence between racial groups continues, despite government steps towards reconciliation. Displaced farm hands from the white owned land remain without shelter or supplies and a food shortage has affected individuals nationwide. Squatters who infiltrated the farms lack food and supplies. NGOs have called for emergency relief to prevent widespread malnutrition and food insecurity.

Among Zimbabwe’s challenges remain the adverse effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. It is estimated that over twenty-five percent of adults are infected and children are more likely to die from AIDS than from any other cause. There are over 900,000 orphans in Zimbabwe as a direct result of the AIDS crisis. NGO-run orphanages care for only twenty percent of the children. Seventy-one percent of caregivers for orphans are over the age of sixty. Difficulties for these caregivers include: meeting basic needs for food, shelter, clothing, payment of school fees, physical inability, and limited access to expensive health care.

In a society where life expectancy has fallen to thirty-eight years, and less than four percent of the population is over the age of sixty-five, the need for assistance in the fight against the AIDS pandemic is highly evident. Elderly caregivers and young orphans both require a great deal of support. Community responsibility for orphans is prominent among the aims of humanitarian work in Zimbabwe. ASOs (AIDS Service Organizations) led by community leaders provide deeper emphasis on AIDS prevention and education. In each case, the need for local involvement is paramount.

This Guide offers international agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the media and the public an overview of the humanitarian assistance being provided to the people of Zimbabwe by InterAction member agencies.

Twenty-four InterAction member organizations currently conduct relief and development operations in Zimbabwe. Thirteen sector areas are addressed in programming including: adolescent reproductive health, agriculture, food security and land issues, business development, capacity building, disaster and emergency relief, education and training, environmental restoration, gender issues, health care, human rights, refugee and migration services, rural development, and water and sanitation.

The NGOs in this report have presented various objectives for their projects in Zimbabwe. A majority of the organizations specifically target the increasing consequences of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, including orphans. Attention to the importance of education in the area of reproductive health emerged as a new sector for NGO work in Zimbabwe. Member organizations also focus heavily on nutrition as it relates to agriculture and rural development in Zimbabwe. Land insecurities has brought this issue into the forefront of NGO work in Zimbabwe. For some organizations the debate on land reform has provided additional challenges in working with local farmers.

Many NGOs have developed working relationships with each other, as well as with many local and international partners. Some of the organizations mentioned include: ZOCA and ZADF in Zimbabwe, USAID, USDA, UCAZ in the US, and a number of UN agencies including, UNAIDS, UNDP, and UNFPA. 

Organizations by Sector Activity

Adolescent Reproductive Health

Young Men’s Christian Association

Agriculture, Food Security, Land Issues

Adventist Development and Relief Agency  
Africare
CARE  
Childreach/PLAN International  
Church World Service  
Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs  
Counterpart International  
Heifer Project  
International City/County Management  Association  
Latter-day Saint Charities  
Lutheran World Relief  
Oxfam America  
The Synergos Institute  
Young Men’s Christian Association  
World Vision

Business Development, Economics, Cooperatives, and Credit

Africare  
CARE  
Catholic Relief Services  
Childreach/PLAN International  
Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs  
Counterpart International  
Heifer Project  
International City/County Management Association  
Mercy Corps  
Mobility International USA  
Opportunity International  
Oxfam America  
Pact  
The Synergos Institute  
World Vision

Capacity Building

CARE  
Church World Service  
Pact

Disaster and Emergency Relief

Adventist Development and Relief Agency
Africare
Catholic Relief Services  
Childreach/PLAN International  
Church World Service  
International City/County Management Association  
Latter-day Saint Charities  
Lutheran World Relief  
Oxfam America  
World Vision

Education and Training

Adventist Development and Relief Agency  
Africare  
The Brother’s Brother Foundation
Childreach/PLAN International  
Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs  
International City/County Management Association  
Jesuit Refugee Service/USA  
Latter-day Saint Charities  
Lutheran World Relief  
Mercy Corps  
Mobility International USA  
Oxfam America  
Pact  
Salvation Army World Service Office  
The Synergos Institute  
United Methodist Committee on Relief  
US for UNICEF  
World Vision  
Young Men’s Christian Association

Environmental Restoration

Counterpart International  
Gender Issues and   Women in Development  
CARE  
Childreach/PLAN International  
International City/County Management Association  
Jesuit Refugee Service/USA  
Mobility International USA
Oxfam America  
The Synergos Institute
Young Men’s Christian Association  
World Vision

Health Care (including HIV/AIDS)

Adventist Development and Relief Agency  
Africare  
CARE  
Catholic Relief Services  
Childreach/PLAN International  
Counterpart International  
Heifer Project  
International City/County Management Association  
Latter-day Saint Charities  
Lutheran World Relief  
Mercy Corps  
Oxfam America  
Pact
Salvation Army World Service Office  
The Synergos Institute  
United Methodist Committee on Relief  
US for UNICEF  
World Vision

Human Rights, Peace, and Conflict Resolution

Catholic Relief Services  
International City/County Management Association  
Jesuit Refugee Service/USA  
Oxfam America  
US for UNICEF

Refugee and Migration Services

International City/County Management Association  
Jesuit Refugee Service/US
Oxfam America

Rural Development

Africare  
Childreach/PLAN International  
Church World Service  
Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs  
Counterpart International  
International City/County Management Association  
Lutheran World Relief  
Oxfam America  
Salvation Army World Service Office  
World Vision

Water and Sanitation

Church World Service  
Counterpart International  
Latter-day Saint Charities  
US for UNICEF  

Acronym                   InterAction Member  
ADRA                          Adventist Development and Relief Agency  
BBF                            The Brother’s Brother Foundation  
CNFA                          Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs, Inc.  
CRS                            Catholic Relief Services  
CWS                           Church World Service  
HP (HPI)                      Heifer Project (Heifer Project International)  
ICMA                           International City/County Management Association  
ICMC                           International Catholic Migration Commission  
JRS                             Jesuit Refugee Service  
LSDC                          Latter-day Saints Charities  
LWR                           Lutheran World Relief  
MIUSA                        Mobility International USA  
UMCOR                      United Methodist Committee on Relief  
UNICEF                      United Nations Children’s Fund  
YMCA                         Young Men’s Christian Association  

Other Acronyms

ACT                          Action by Churches Together  
ADP                          Area Development Program  
AIDS                         Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
ASO                          AIDS Support Organizations  
AVP                          Agribusiness Volunteer Program  
CC                            Christian Care  
CCJP                        Catholic Church’s Justice and Peace  
CEM                         Community Ecosystem Management  
CFU                          Commercial Farmer’s Union  
CIDA                         Canadian International Development Agency  
COMMUTECH           Community Technology Development Trust  
CSO                         Civil Society Organizations  
GOZ                         Government of Zimbabwe  
HIV                           Human Immunodeficiency Virus  
IFAD                         International Fund for Agricultural Development  
IFESH                       International Foundation for Education and Self-Help  
LDS                          Lutheran Development Services  
MDC                         Movement for Democratic Change  
NFBPA                     National Forum for Black Public Administrators  
NGO                         Non-Governmental Organization  
NICA                         Nutritional Initiatives in Communal Areas  
NORAD                     Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation  
RAISE                       Rural Agricultural Input Supply Expansion  
SADC                        South African Development Community  
STD                           Sexually Transmitted Disease  
TB                             Tuberculosis  
UCAZ                         Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe  
UMP                          Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe  
UN                             United Nations  
UNAIDS                     Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS  
UNDP                        United Nations Development Programme  
UNFPA                      United Nations Fund for Population Activities  
UNHCR                      United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees  
USAID                       United States Agency for International Development        
USCC                        United States Catholic Conference of Bishops  
USD                          United States Dollars  
USDA                        United States Department of Agriculture  
WHDP                       Women’s Health Development Project  
WMN                         Women’s Microcredit Network  
ZADF                         Zimbabwe American Development Foundation  
ZOCA                        Zimbabwe Organizational Capacity Assessment  

Introduction to Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA)

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency International (ADRA) is an independent, humanitarian agency established by the Seventh-day Adventist Church with the specific purpose of individual and community development and disaster relief. Established in 1956, ADRA helps people without regard to age, ethnicity, or political or religious association.

Adventist Development and Relief Agency in Zimbabwe

ADRA Zimbabwe is a registered non-governmental organization (NGO) with the Ministry of Social Welfare. Initially set up for relief purposes, ADRA Zimbabwe now focuses primarily on development and the reduction of poverty. Most of the ADRA projects are based in Matabeleland Province because the region is prone to drought.

Water projects are a major activity due to dryness of the region. ADRA Zimbabwe is currently building a dam in Spring Fontein, about 15 km from Bulawayo. This dam and other completed water projects, including water treatment, enable more consistent agricultural production.

At ADRA’s horticultural training center, hundreds of people have learned how to operate productive garden markets, raising food for their own consumption as well as for income.

ADRA has organized HIV/AIDS awareness programs for school children. In light of estimates of HIV/AIDS affecting 25% of Zimbabweans, ADRA is actively promoting education and healthful lifestyles. Due to the increasing number of orphans, ADRA is building orphanages such as those in Odzi near Mutare and Waterfalls in Harare.

Introduction to Africare

Africare is a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1971.  Africare works to improve the quality of life in Africa, with programs in agriculture, water resource development, natural resource management, health care, emergency relief, private sector development and governance.

Africare in Zimbabwe

For 20 years, Africare has been serving the needs of rural communities in Zimbabwe.  Working closely with local authorities, Africare seeks to improve the quality of life in rural areas through the development of water resources, increased food production and processing, effective delivery of health services and sustainable small enterprise development.

Ongoing projects include:

Soyabean Production, Processing and Utilization

The goal of the project is to improve the household food security and level of income in the identified sites through promotion of soyabean production, processing, utilization and marketing.  The project is located in Mt. Darwin and Rushinga districts of Mashonaland Central Province. Primary funds for this project came from the Rockefeller Foundation in the amount of 100,000 USD.

Masvingo Edible Oils Processing

The main objective of the project is to improve the economic and nutritional status of rural people, especially women and youth by increasing the availability of affordable cooking oil and livestock feed.  The project also aims to improve the living standards of rural people through the promotion of peanut butter production.  It is located in Mwenezi and Masvingo districts of Masvingo Province. The primary donor in this project is NORAD (Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation) in the amount of 200,000 USD.

Peanut Butter/Permaculture

The main objective of the project is to improve the living standards of rural people through the promotion of peanut butter production as well as low input agricultural production (permaculture).  The project is located in Mt. Darwin and Rushinga districts of Mashonaland Central Province. Funding comes from the McKnight Foundation in the amount of 100,000 USD.

Promotion of Food Security Opportunities Opposing Drought (Pro-FOOD)

The goal of the project is to improve the household food security and income of smallholder farmers in the identified project sites, through the promotion of cassava, pigeon pea and sweet potato production, processing and utilization for both human and livestock consumption.  The project is located in Zvishavane, Mberengwa and Shurugwi districts of Midlands Province and Gwanda and Beitridge districts of Matebeleland Province. Funding is from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in the amount of 75,000 USD.

Southern Africa Adolescent Reproductive Health

The project is aimed at improving the reproductive health of adolescents and young adults in Malawi, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  In Zimbabwe, the project is building upon existing community-based initiatives, many of which are isolated and operating on shoestring budgets.  Such efforts are aimed at improving the quality of their activities, extending their reach, replicating the most effective approaches and strengthening their sustainability.  The project is implemented in Bindura and Mt. Darwin districts of Mashonaland Central Province. Funding provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in the amount of 2,000,000 USD.

Mutasa HIV/AIDS

The project is a community-based initiative aimed at empowering male leaders, village community workers (mostly women) and youth with skills to educate the community at large on ways to protect themselves against HIV and STDs.  The overall goal is to reduce the spread of these infections among youth as a priority group and to create a supportive environment for people living with AIDS.  The project is located in Mutasa district in Manicaland Province. This project is funded by  the Donor Foundation, the International Foundation and Patterson in the amounts of 75,000, 10,000, and 20,000 USD, respectively.

Community-based Orphan Care

The project promotes shared responsibility for the care of orphans within the society, strengthens the community’s capacity to address the growing number of orphans and creates awareness about the problem through the establishment of orphan care clubs in schools and churches.  Orphan care clubs will engage in income generating activities and life skills development for orphaned children.  The project is located in Mutasa district in Manicaland Province. Funding comes from the Donner Foundation in the amount of 50,000 USD.  

Africare has involved one of the most diverse donor bases in the charitable world. Donors have ranged from philanthropic foundations, multinational corporations, the U.S. government, foreign governments and international agencies such as the United Nations to small businesses, community groups, religious groups, educational institutions, other private organizations and thousands of individuals.

Introduction to The Brother’s Brother Foundation (BBF)

The mission of BBF is to distribute donated medical, educational, agricultural, and humanitarian response resources to people in need of them internationally.

The Brother’s Brother Foundation in Zimbabwe

Since 1985, BBF has provided over 2,000,000 new books for use in over 3,000 schools. Most recently, BBF worked with the United Methodist Church to send new college books to the United Methodist Church sponsored Africa University in 2000.  

Introduction to CARE

CARE’s mission is to serve individuals and families in the poorest communities in the world.  Drawing strength from our global diversity, resources and experience, CARE promotes innovative solutions and advocates for global responsibility.  CARE facilitates lasting change by: strengthening capacity for self-help, providing economic opportunity, delivering relief in emergencies, influencing policy decisions at all levels, and addressing discrimination in all its forms. Guided by the aspirations of local communities, CARE pursues their mission with both excellence and compassion because of CARE’s belief that the people whom they serve deserve nothing less.

CARE in Zimbabwe

CARE’s purpose in Zimbabwe is to empower disadvantaged and poor households to meet their basic needs. CARE aims to create an enabling environment that leads to improved organizational competence and better product delivery and design. CARE’s goals in Zimbabwe include: expanding geographically and adding value to current programmes, diversifying programming scope, demonstrating programmatic excellence, developing greater financial and programmatic self-reliance, and developing and implementing capacity building mechanisms.

CARE currently engages in three major projects located in various regions. Directed towards needs of health, economic activity and agriculture; they include:

Nutrition Initiatives in Communal Areas Project (NICA)

The NICA is an initiative on micronutrient fortification for the rural areas of Zimbabwe.  The project aims at reducing malnutrition and micronutrient disorders among economically vulnerable groups.  Recently, the project has been working on the introduction of food-based strategies for combating micronutrient deficiencies. These strategies were accompanied by effective nutrition communication strategies and have brought a new awareness and demand for micronutrient-rich foods. The project comprises three major components: Agricultural-processing by women's groups, small scale fortification by millers and women's groups and a school nutrition programme. This project works primarily in the Zvishavane and Mberengwa districts.

Women’s Health Development Project (WHDP)

The WHDP aims at improving household food security and nutritional status by increasing income at household level.  The project explores the effects of an integrated,

multi-pronged approach to malnutrition, focusing activities on income-generating agro-processing, capacity building for small micro-enterprises, community-based preventive health care and the improved supply of agricultural inputs.  The major components of the project are: Organization and strengthening of women's groups, delivery of community managed health and nutrition services, and income generating through agricultural-processing activities. This project works primarily in the Mberengwa district. Agent Project

The Agribusiness Entrepreneur network and Training project aims at increasing the agricultural productivity and incomes of men and women farmers in the communal areas of Zimbabwe. To achieve this the project strategy includes: establishing a network of market-driven based Agents to sell agricultural inputs to small-scale farmers, assisting the private sector to identify and develop strategies to assume full responsibility for managing the Agent programme, piloting output marketing mechanisms using the Agent network and farmer association to provide higher returns to small-holder farmers; designing and implementing systems which will inform project management and document achievements with respect to changes in small-holder farmers' livelihoods. This project works primarily in the Midlands, Masvingo, and Manicaland provinces.

The current projects work with the University of Zimbabwe, Rural District Councils, District Administrators, Agritex, the Ministry of Health, and assorted private sectors. The major source of funding comes from The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Budgets for the current projects exceed 5.7 million Canadian dollars.

Introduction to Catholic Relief Services (CRS)

Catholic Relief Services carries out relief and development programs in more than 80 countries around the world. Founded in 1943, CRS is the official overseas relief and development agency of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB). CRS provides assistance on the basis of need, regardless of nationality, race or religion. CRS works towards its mission by responding to victims of natural and man-made disasters; by providing assistance to the poor to alleviate their immediate needs; by supporting self-help programs which involve people and communities in their own development; by helping those it serves to restore and preserve their dignity and to realize their potential; and by helping to educate the American people to fulfill their moral responsibilities in alleviating human suffering, removing its causes and promoting social justice.

Catholic Relief Services in Zimbabwe

The CRS Zimbabwe program seeks to alleviate poverty in its broadest sense and to foster peace and justice. CRS/Zimbabwe supports programming that increases disadvantaged groups' control over their social, economic, and political lives, by strengthening civil society, increasing income and improving the health and welfare of the poor majority. The program benefits approximately 760,000 people directly, and over 2,500,000 people indirectly and has a program value of over 2.6 million USD.  The goal of the program is to counter the negative effects of colonization and apartheid, which led to uneven economic development, disempowerment of the majority of the population, chronic poverty, war and a weakened economy. This is carried out through solidarity with local partners including diocesan and other Church organizations as well as local NGOs.  CRS Zimbabwe’s main programming areas are HIV/AIDS, Justice and Peace and Micro-Finance.  CRS Zimbabwe also intervenes in emergency situations. In response to the overwhelming pandemic striking the sub-continent and particularly Zimbabwe, CRS is significantly expanding its HIV/AIDS programming to serve more families and communities that are affected.

HIV/AIDS

CRS supports an integrated set of interventions designed to provide care, support and prevention services to families and communities affected by HIV/AIDS in Manicaland, Matabeleland North and South, Midlands and Masvingo Provinces as well as the urban and peri-urban areas of Harare and Bulawayo. CRS/Zimbabwe works in partnership with local organizations to provide affected communities with HIV/AIDS education, orphan care, counseling, spiritual and psycho-social support, as well as home-based care to people infected by HIV/AIDS. Bringing the care of the terminally ill back into the hands of the communities promotes solidarity with the sick and dying and ensures that they may pass away with dignity as they succumb to a devastating disease. At the same time assistance is provided to communities to support income generating activities that benefit affected families and children. CRS also works with youth groups, and organizations that work with youth, in prevention activities. CRS/Zimbabwe HIV/AIDS interventions benefit 750,000 people directly and more than 1,800,000 people indirectly.

Micro-Finance

In the Micro-finance sector, CRS projects in Zimbabwe work to provide access to credit for the informal sectors in disadvantaged communities. These programs target the self-employed poor who have little or no access to formal credit, with a special emphasis on reaching women. Typically, women use loans and savings to invest in their businesses, and utilize additional income to meet household needs such as more and better food, improved housing, health care, children's school fees, and savings for emergency use.  CRS has also begun a program that targets communities that are participants in CRS supported HIV/AIDS activities, providing them with micro-finance services in order to increase their incomes. These activities are carried out in Masvingo, Midlands, and Manicaland Provinces benefiting a total of 3,900 people directly and 42,000 people indirectly.

Human Rights, Justice and Peace

CRS/Zimbabwe works with the local Catholic Church's Justice and Peace (CCJP) Commissions as well as local NGOs, promoting conflict management, civic education, participation, and the promotion of equality in rights, access to and the control of resources for the politically and economically marginalized. One of the projects has established Community Justice and Peace Committees in rural areas. In turn, these committees help the communities articulate their problems, prioritize needs, formulate intervention strategies and negotiate with local authorities more effectively. Volunteers are also working with high school human rights groups, which are actively educating their peer groups and communities about justice issues that concern the young.  Activities are carried out in the Matabeleland North and Midlands Provinces. The project directly benefits 6,200 people while 720,000 people benefit indirectly.

Emergency

In addition to regular programming, CRS is often called upon to provide relief in emergency situations. In the spring of 2000, Southern Africa suffered from the most devastating floods in the last century. The floods caused incredible amounts of damage. CRS quickly moved into action after the floods to meet the most pressing needs of the affected population as well as rehabilitating and training people to prepare for and mitigate the effects of future disasters.

Introduction to Childreach/Plan International

PLAN is a humanitarian, child-focused development organization. Child sponsorship is the basic foundation of the organization. For more than 60 years, PLAN has stood for the rights of children, and has helped millions of children realize their potential to contribute to society and be actors in their own growth and development as world citizens.

Childreach/Plan International in Zimbabwe

The programs of PLAN-Zimbabwe concentrate on four areas: food security and poverty alleviation, primary health care enhancement, childhood and youth development and communication for development.

Current projects in Zimbabwe include:

Agriculture and Food Production:

Provision of agricultural inputs and livestock, irrigation, micro-enterprise development, land conservation, and agricultural training.

Building Relationships:

Plan Zimbabwe continues to support the Plan Domain – Building Relationships – by developing communication materials to explain life and development work in the country. Products include an Annual Program Report, cross-cultural communication, informal reports, and letters and drawings from children to donors.

Business Development, Cooperatives, and Credit:

Children participate in economic activities although their participation is not always recognized by society members. They herd domesticated animals and participate in farming activities in the rural areas. The Chipinge Program Area is adjacent to small- scale tea, coffee and cotton farms and during school holidays children help their parents supplement their cash income by assisting them on these farms.

Education/Training (Learning):

Our Program Units are assisting with the provision of school uniforms and/or payment of school fees for secondary schools as a method of reducing the high drop out rate which exists between primary and secondary school levels as well as encouraging more girls to continue with their education. PLAN is also assisting communities with provision of pre-school facilities. In addition to provision of facilities PLAN is also undertaking community awareness campaigns on pre-schools.

PLAN is also involved in construction of new classrooms and renovation of old ones, to help improve the learning environment for children.

Gender Issues/Women in Development:

All PLAN staff have received Gender Equity training. Women are encouraged through the formation of social groups to actively participate in community development activities. In order to address gender inequity issues, PLAN Zimbabwe plans to develop a policy document on gender, which will help ensure that gender equity is integrated into all PLAN program activities.