NEW Caritas Harare Quarterly Newsletter

NEW Caritas Harare
Quarterly Newsletter
Edition - 1st Quarter January – March 2013
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Welcome
Table of
Content:
1. Coordinators
welcome
2. Caritas
Family &
Zim news
in brief
3. Active
Projects
4. News
from the
field
5. Success
Stories
6. About
us
Greetings to you all. I would like to welcome you to the first
edition of the Caritas Zimbabwe Archdiocese of Harare quarterly
newsletter. The aim of the newsletters is to inform you of our work,
provide updates on project implementation, future plans, and
development activities within the Archdiocese of Harare. I
welcome present, past and future donors, key stakeholders and
all our friends.
We are currently implementing an integrated irrigation and
water & sanitation project in Mhondoro and Marondera districts.
We are working on improving immediate food security and
assess to sanitation in Chishawasha and Caledonia. We are also
working on improving the quality of life for 500 orphans and
vulnerable children in Mashonaland Central Province through
provision of bicycles and psychosocial support.
Our beneficiaries have always been our source of
encouragement as they continue to support us in the work we
do. Their appreciation has made us resilient in our work and we
will continue to soldier on in our bid to improve the quality of life
for the most vulnerable communities within the Archdiocese of
Harare.
It is our hope that through this newsletter, we will be able to
reach out to people who may assist and support us, so as to
strengthen relations and improve our work as an organization.
Kindly please circulate the newsletter to your staff and others so
that our work as Caritas becomes transparent.
Thank you so much for your support which you always extend to
Caritas Harare. That support and networking will always be
appreciated. I look forward to writing to you all in the next
newsletter.
Kind Regards
Brother Francis Marimbe C.Ss.R (Development Coordinator)
Caritas family & Zim news in brief
ü The constitutional referendum passed off peaceful on March 16th 2013. The new
constitution was accepted emphatically by the Zimbabwean people
ü A general election date for parliamentary and presidential elections is yet to be
scheduled but it is expected to take place this winter 2013
ü The Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC) have published there new
strategic plan 2013 – 2017. The Caritas strategic themes they chose are: food
security; water and sanitation;
livelihoods;
and responding to emergencies
Active
Projects
ü Caritas Harare are in the middle
of
drafting
its new strategic plan. Staff, the
Active Projects
board, beneficiaries, stakeholders are all involved in the process that is guided
by the ZCBC and Caritas Africa strategic plans
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Active Projects
1. Mhondoro Integrated Irrigation and WASH Project (MH WASH)
Donor: SERVE (Ireland)
Project Location: Wards 7 & 27, Mhondoro, Chegutu District, Mashonaland West
Goal: Improved resilience to external climatic and economic shocks for 200
vulnerable farming households and decreased vulnerability to water borne
diseases for 1,370 households and 4 schools.
Objectives:
1. Targeted households and institutions have decreased vulnerability to waterborne diseases.
2. Communities have improved livelihood security and are more resilient to
external shocks
Activities:
WASH - Construction of household and institutional latrines; rehabilitation of
household wells and community boreholes
- Establishment of various WASH management committees; training of latrine
builders; trainings in water quality testing and pump management; trainings in
participatory health & hygiene education (PHHE)
Livelihoods - Establishment of 2 community nutrition gardens
- Training in best horticulture and agriculture practices including: agronomy; food
processing & preservation; nursery, disease and pest control; marketing; small
business management; leadership training
- Training of saving and internal lending committees (SILC) and the formation of
groups
Target Groups:
Acutely poor households, institutions and communities with a deficient WASH asset
base and vulnerable horticulture and agricultural farmers, specifically: OVC,
PLWHIV, people with disabilities, chronically and terminally ill, elderly, widows, child
headed households, the girl child and those who are ultra-poor
Rate of Completion: 50%
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2. Community Based Relief and Recovery Project (CBRR)
Donor: Trocaire (Ireland)
Project Location: Bobo Farm, Ward 19, Harare District, Harare Province and
Chishawasha communal lands, Ward 15, Goromonzi District, Mashonaland East
Province
Goal: Contribute towards a reduction of diseases, poverty and hunger among
vulnerable communities in Bobo Farm and Chishawasha communal lands.
Objectives:
1. To improve the immediate food security
2. To improve access to sanitation facilities and safe disposal of human waste
3. To promote livelihoods recovery and resilience interventions for target groups
Main Activities:
Food Security - Electronic cash transfers (e-vouchers) to 500 individuals for four
months, January – April 2013
Sanitation - Construction of BVIP latrines
- Conduct public health and hygiene education awareness campaigns
Livelihoods - Promotion of conservation farming and small grain production;
establishment of demonstration plots; participating in field days
- Formation of chicken co-operatives, training and the provision of inputs
- Stakeholder training in enterprise development (livelihood promotion, protection
& retention); food processing; marketing
- Workshops and drama shows on mainstreaming issues e.g. HIV/AIDs & Gender
- Training of saving and internal lending committees (SILC) and the formation of
groups
- Training of communities in disaster risk reduction; establishment of livelihood
committees; strengthen child protection committees
Target Groups: Acute and chronically poor mainly within the following categories:
PLHIV, OVC’s, chronically ill, child headed households, single parent headed
households, people with disabilities, and the elderly.
Rate of Completion: 70%
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3. Integrated Community Development Programme (ICDP)
Donor: Caritas Australia
Project Location: Wards 11 & 12 Mahusekwa and Wards 19 & 20 Svosve,
Marondera, Mashonaland East
Goal: To alleviate suffering of the most vulnerable populations in the Archdiocese
of Harare through improved community management, water and sanitation
services, hygiene promotion, food security and livelihood support
Objectives:
1. Targeted communities have improved water and sanitation standards
2. Reduced vulnerabilities of communities to external shocks such as food
insecurity
3. Increased community establishment and ownership of local projects
4. Increased awareness of cross cutting issues e.g. gender, HIV/AIDS, DRR and the
environment
5. To undertake micro economic activities designed to improve the livelihoods of
the program beneficiaries via the interface of water and sanitation and nutrition
gardens to raise income levels and sustainability of OVC
Main Activities:
WASH - Build BVIP household latrines; protect and deepen wells; rehabilitate hand
pumps; install a school piped water system
- Training and awareness campaigns in participatory health and hygiene
education (PHHE); conduct water quality testing
Food Security - Support OVC nutrition gardens with a variety of inputs and the
provision of agricultural inputs for farmers practicing conservation agriculture
- Porridge feeding scheme at 12 schools benefitting 2,500 OVC
- Training of farmers in market linkages, livestock production, agro-forestry and
herbal gardening
Governance (local) - Training of stakeholders in community based management
- Establishment of water point committees; training stakeholders in shallow well
protection & management; training lead farmers as resource people in
conservation farming
Mainstreaming - Awareness sessions on gender, HIV/AIDS and the environment at
community and institutional level
- Trainings in disaster risk reduction (DRR) and risk mapping
Livelihoods - Training of saving and internal lending committees (SILC) and the
formation of groups
Target Groups: The programme directly benefits OVC, the elderly, widows, those
living with illnesses, women, people living with disabilities and the most vulnerable
members of the community.
Rate of Completion: 60%
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4. Education & Economic Empowerment Project for OVC (EEEP)
Donor: Catholic Relief Service (CRS – USA)
Project Location: Bindura District, Mazowe District and Shamva District,
Mashonaland Central Province
Goal: Improve the quality of life for 500 orphans and vulnerable children
Objectives:
1. Improved psychosocial well-being of 500 OVC
2. Enhanced opportunities for OVC to fulfil their academic potential
3. OVC caregivers have improved access to financial assets
Main activities:
OVC Programming - Distribution of 500 bicycles to OVC; road traffic training;
training of bicycle mechanics
- Training of 500 OVC and peer educators in psychosocial support; provision
of counselling sessions
- Training of saving and internal lending committees (SILC) and the formation
of groups
Target Groups: Orphaned & vulnerable children; OVC guardians; peer
groups
Completion Rate: 33%
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News from our project officers in the field..
Overview
Ø The political environment within the Diocese has remained relatively stable
and peaceful but canvassing, meetings and preparations for the
upcoming elections are intensifying
Ø The rains arrived late in November. Heavy rain followed in December and
January followed by a long dry spell in February. This pattern resulted in
crop wilting and failure. Excessive rains arrived in March destroyed some of
the standing crops. Climate change patterns are causing great
agricultural stresses. Parts of the Diocese may need to start preparing for
food shortages as many parts have experienced this uncertain weather.
Ø
Ø
Ø
Ø
Ø
Phineas - MH WASH Mhondoro Project (SERVE)
In January there were concerns of a cholera outbreak and there was a
pest attack of army worm which destroyed some maize crop
During the excessive January rains flooding was experienced in Ward 7
Communities continue to seek food relief which is being offered by the
government but is not adequate to feed their families
The school heads are requesting supplementary feeding for children
The Madzongwe Irrigation scheme has faced many difficulties
including equipment failure
Jabson &
Kuitakwashe – IDCP
Marondera Project
(Caritas Australia)
- In January, in
Mahusekwa &
Svosve, it was
reported that most
households are food
insecure. School
attendance is down
and there is a
concern that there
is a food crises
looming
- Referendum
preparations
interfered with
project
Joyful & Saga - CBRR Project (Trocaire)
Ø Food insecurity was reported in Bobo
Farm in January
Ø The price of Maize has increased from
$5 - $7 in space of 3 months, and sellers
are scarce
Ø Homeowners in Bobo Farm run the risk
of having their homes destroyed during
regularisation of the stands due to lack
of title deeds
Masimba – EEEP Project (CRS)
- Distribution of bicycles has taken place in
the district of Bindura
- There are limited livelihood options in all 3
targeted districts
- Many children can walk up to 10km each
way to school affecting attendance and
performance
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Success Stories
Building Financial Resource Base for Vulnerable Households - A case of
Changamukai Group
Savings and lending committee in Marondera (IDCP)
A group of 18 members in Ward 11 of Chihota communal area in Marondera
District of Mashonaland East Province in Zimbabwe have joined together to
form a group on Saving and Internal Lending Communities (SILC) named ‘
Changamukai’, a Shona name meaning be awake. The group is composed
of 13 women and 5 men, upon completion they decided to form their group.
The group was formed in September 2012 with a purpose of purchasing
agriculture inputs for each member in the form of 5kg maize seed, 50kg basal
fertilizer and 50kg of top dressing fertilizer for the season besides other plans.
The group agreed to contribute monthly subscriptions of US$10 per member
to develop the fund and agreed an interest of 30% if a member borrowed
from the fund. By the end of November 2012, their fund had grown to US$860,
which was enough to purchase 5kg maize seed and 50kg basal fertilizer for
each member which they did. For the top dressing fertilizer, they agreed to
purchase for each member by January 2013. The group acknowledged
Caritas for the SILC training as their livelihood and financial base have been
strengthened.
Female Integration & Empowerment – The case of 3 female latrine
builders
The latrine construction team Mhondoro (MH WASH)
In November 2012, 10 builders undertook 3 weeks training to learn
how to construct BVIP latrines and rehabilitate shallow wells. The
group differed to other building teams as 3 members were women.
Five months on the 3 women; Norma Musarapasi, Juliana Jani,
Elizabeth Magaso, are very happy because; local communities have
new latrines, the women possess new skills and they now consider
themselves builders. The project has given them confidence and they
are optimistic about the future.
Prior to the training the women had no knowledge of construction
but now they are part of a highly efficient building team. The skills
gained include; plastering, roofing, flooring, brick laying, doing the
foundations, and installing water tanks - every aspect of latrine
construction. The women stated they are capable and confident to
utilize their skills by working in the construction industry beyond this
project. Another success story is the change of attitude among the
male builders. They have recognised the women’s progress and are
very supportive.
The women say they have been empowered by Caritas. They are
now employed and receiving wages for their work. In the future they
can use their new skills to earn a better income.
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About Caritas Harare
Who we are
Caritas Harare is the social developmental arm of the Catholic Church
in the Archdiocese of Harare with the mandate of implementing
developmental projects and responding to emergency. As an
organization, we are guided by the social teachings of the Catholic
Church which encompass our values and principles.
What we do
Caritas Harare focuses on relief, development and social service within
the Archdiocese of Harare. Our five thematic areas are:
1. Emergency Preparedness and Relief
2. Sustainable Livelihoods
3. Environmental Health
4. Advocacy and Lobbying
5. Caritas Identity & Fundraising Capacity
Our vision
To be the sign of God’s love witnessed through working with
people so that all may have life in its fullness
Our values
Human Dignity
Solidarity and Sharing
Service
Partnership
Compassion
Hope
Equality
Justice
Stewardship
Contact details
Caritas Zimbabwe Archdiocese of Harare (Caritas Harare)
Corner Fifth Street/David Livingstone Avenue
Harare
Zimbabwe
+263773025634
brfrancis@caritaszim-hre.org.zw
kieran@caritaszim-hre.org.zw
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