The new focus is on enhanced empowerment of communities to achieve the well-being of children. Spokesperson Andrew Shamu told The Zimbabwean in a recent interview that the organisation’s 2013-15 Strategic Plan seeks to bring vulnerable people into the promised land – where their children are educated for life, enjoy good health, are cared for and protected.
“We have increased the number of Area Development Programmes from 27 to at least 31 and will grow from the annual average of 15 projects totalling over $12millionto grants valued at over $20m a year,” he said.
WVZ is an international partnership of Christians whose mission is to follow Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of God. It started working in Zimbabwe 40 years ago with the vision to achieve for ‘every child, life in all its fullness’.
Development projects
“During that time WVZ has positively impacted the lives of millions of children and their families through hundreds of projects across the country that focused on immediate needs as prioritised by vulnerable communities,” said Shamu.
“However, we now want to focus more on transformational development projects that stretch to 15 years with communities. But when government declares national disasters we still have teams on standby to assist.”
In partnership with ANV International and Care International, WVZ is working in seven districts of Chivi, Mberengwa, Bikita, Zaka, Chipinge and Chimanimani to enhance nutrition and promote food security.
“We are also carrying out the I-GATE programme, which seeks to promote access by girl-children to education through reaching out to 400,000 children in disadvantaged communities and school dropouts,” he said.
Produced more
In 2012, over 80 percent of households that participated in conservation agriculture with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organisation recorded yields greater than 1 metric-tonne per hectare – compared to the average half metric-tonne per hectare of those who did not.
“Through the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development funded Protracted Recovery Programme in Insiza and Matobo, participating households on average produced more cereals (425kg per hectare) than non-beneficiaries (196kg/H) despite the impact of a significant drought. Household, particularly those headed by women, that participated in the FAO poultry programme in Umzingwane recorded an average household income increase of $117 per month from egg sales,” said Shamu.
Through community management of the acute malnutrition programme in Bubi, Umguza and Nkayi, WVZ strengthened the capacity of the Ministry of Health and Child Care to administer the programme in 43 health centres and treated 275 severely malnourished children.
7,000 vaccinated
Maternal and new-born child health programmes were launched in four districts, which stimulated greater demand for antenatal care for approximately 14,000 women and contributed to improved vaccination coverage for 7,000 children.
WVZ also has a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Programme, which seeks to provide appropriate water supply, sanitation and hygiene services in both rural and urban setting.
“We carried out the Bulawayo water and sanitation emergency response between 2010 and 2013. The programme contributed to the reduction of diarrheal diseases in the city by 40 percent for all age groups and most importantly by 45 percent for children below the age of five years,” said Shaumu. The project included the drilling of boreholes and construction of latrines in public places, prisons and schools.
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