12 September 2011
The success of a Tearfund partner-led project which has helped improve access to food and water for more than 20,000 Zimbabweans in Bulawayo, has been recognised in a new report out today.
Tearfund partner Churches in Bulawayo joined forces with the city council and community representatives in 2008 to tackle deprivation in the western suburbs.
The city council provided land for urban agriculture, creating 20 community gardens, each of about 2,500 square metres. Each garden was divided into household plots where families could grow vegetables and medicinal herbs to boost their nutrition and health.
The gardens were near to boreholes that had fallen into disrepair but the project restored them so they could provide a ready supply of safe water for drinking and vegetable cultivation. Some 20 boreholes had debris removed, were flushed out and had new pumps installed.
The city council, Churches in Bulawayo and the community worked closely together at all stages, from planning to implementation. With support from Tearfund, 20 local communities set up water point committees and each appointed three pump minders per borehole, who then received training in pump maintenance and repairs.
Those benefiting from the project were selected by councillors, residents’ groups and Churches in Bulawayo representatives, with a focus on the poorest and most vulnerable sectors of the population, including child-headed households, widows, orphans and people living with HIV.
Churches in Bulawayo provided people with initial training on vegetable gardening, and following on from this local councillors arranged for specialist agricultural workers to provide ongoing support.
The process was deliberately depoliticised to prevent perceptions of any local politician ‘owning’ the gardens, helping to ensure the project’s sustainability did not depend on any individual’s patronage.
The success of this integrated approach to tackling lack of food and water is highlighted in a report out today called Join Up, Scale Up, produced by Tearfund and five other development organisations.
The report showcases success stories from a variety of places, including Kenya, Nepal and Peru, to highlight the benefits of taking an integrated approach to development and also has recommendations aimed at policy makers and donors.
With regard to the Churches in Bulawayo project, it says a total of 983 families now benefit from the gardens and 20,000 people have gained access to safe drinking water.
Participants are now able to grow enough vegetables to feed their households and sell the excess, with at least 80 per cent of the families eating vegetables with every meal.
Initial assessments by Bulawayo City Council show a decrease in diarrhoeal diseases and malnutrition.
As well as tackling drought-related problems, disease and food shortages, the project has helped bring a new sense of dignity to those who have benefited, and restored their position within the community.
Bishop Albert Chatindo, chairman of Churches in Bulawayo, said, ‘The positive results from this project have led to an increased demand for it to be replicated in other residential areas.’
The report concludes: ‘Cooperation between government, NGOs, faith-based organisations and communities at the local level can identify achievable solutions to poverty needs that improve many aspects of a community’s life.’
* Click here to read the full Join Up, Scale Up report