HAND in Hand Zimbabwe (HIHZim) has extended its community upliftment project, which was only being implemented in Bulilima and Chikomba, to cover Chirumanzu, Lupane and Nkayi districts as part of strategies to fight poverty at a large scale among rural households in the country.

The project, which was already making a direct impact on 400 households in Bulilima and Chikomba is now set to benefit more than 1 000 households inclusive of the new districts.

HIHZ CEO Felix Tete said the extension of the project will go a long way in bringing about sustainable economic transformation to various households living in these marginalised areas.

“Through the implementation of the community upliftment project, HIHZim seeks to reduce poverty in communities through building socio economically resilient
communities while at the same time engaging in climate smart environmental interventions,” he said.

To achieve this goal, Tete said the project facilitates the establishment of cohesive self-help groups and viable enterprises through five modular trainings inself-help group strengthening and business development.

He said the project will also facilitate the respective communities’ capacity to support themselves through starting or strengthening group enterprises and economic activities.

“The project’s activities encompass social mobilization, conducting business training, training entrepreneurs on environmentally friendly practices and climate change, supporting garden enterprises through drilling boreholes and provision of fencing materials, establishing a market center with stalls, supporting food processing enterprises with solar driers and linking entrepreneurs to markets,” he said.

Through the project, technical trainings will be conducted for the entrepreneurs as per need and these include value addition, gender mainstreaming, packaging and branding. Training of pump minders and post-harvest handling will also be conducted.

Tete said by the end of the project, rural households living in poverty and vulnerable situations will be equipped with entrepreneurial and managerial skills, including savings and financial management.

“Environmentally friendly viable enterprises will also be established or enhanced in targeted communities and jobs are expected to be created. “The project’s goal is to contribute to improved sustainable economic activities for the target population including women and youth (80%) and men (20%),” Tete said. Community upliftment project is a 30-month-initiative that commenced in June 2018 and will end in December 2020. The project is implemented in partnership with Hand in Hand Sweden.