Humanitarian Relief Development Commission
- Created: Thursday, 21 September 2017 17:55
Project Title: Enhancing Absorptive Capacity of Households Affected by Cyclone Idai in Chipinge and Buhera
EFZ Cyclone Idai Response in Chipinge
The Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe responded to the devastating effects of Cyclone Idai of March 2019 through the Enhancing absorptive capacity of households affected by Cyclone IDAI in Buhera and Chipinge districts project which ran between June – December 2020. The project was delivered with a budget of USD 162 715.
A total of 400 households in ward 10 and 6 of Chipinge were assisted with immediate basic needs which included food and non-food items. Over 2 months of distribution, each of the 400 households received 40kg mealie meal, 6kg sugar beans, 4kg kapenta, 4kg sugar, 4kg salt, 4l cooking oil, a dignity kit consisting (2 female panties, 2 packs of sanitary pads, 2 toothbrushes, 2 tubes of toothpaste and 2 bath towels), 20l water bucket with tap, 20l Gerry can container, 1 blanket, 2 bars of soap and a small bale of donated clothes. These items made it possible for the beneficiaries to meet their daily food and non-food needs as they embarked on a difficult journey to rebuild their lives and their homes which were destroyed by the Cyclone.
Additionally, through the local church, the project was able to facilitate the construction of 10 blair latrines at critical public points including churches and business centres in order to mitigate against the spread of hygiene related diseases such as cholera among others. In the same regard, the project trained 120 local hygiene champions who continue to raise awareness on good hygiene practices in their respective communities.
The project further constructed a one of a kind gravity-fed water piped system in ward 6. This initiative is currently directly serving over 100 households and has led to the establishment of a community garden which will benefit the whole community at large and raise incomes at household level. In ward 10, Heilrand Primary School was furnished with a new water point. The borehole now provides clean and safe water to over 600 pupils and staff, as well as the surrounding villages.
To ensure a sustainable future for the communities, as they largely rely on agriculture, the project trained 120 community members in conservation agriculture and provided them with inputs for the 2019 agricultural season. The local Agritex department was engaged and continues to capacitate them on good agricultural practices.
More importantly, the project ensured that the communities in ward 10 and 6 are self-sufficient to provide psycho social support to members of their communities through the training of 120 local providers of basic counselling. It was critical to include this aspect given the trauma that was experienced when the cyclone hit.
Direct project beneficiaries: Food and non-food assistance (2656 people); Trainings (541 people). Additionally, 1454 children from the beneficiary households each received a pair of shoes, a gesture that was made possible from member donations.
HRDC
Goals
To strengthen the capacity of the EFZ members by demonstrating the love of God through interventions that alleviate human suffering, save lives and promote life.
Key result areas
- Child Protection
- HIV and AIDS
- Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH)
- Sustainable Livelihoods
- Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability
Key Achievements
EFZ facilitated improved access to safe drinking water to over 60 000 beneficiaries in Epworth, Murewa and Mutoko by drilling 26 new boreholes and rehabilitating 98 water supply systems over three years.
Approximately 98 000 people were reached with gospel messages through borehole drilling crusades.
Our interventions in Mutoko-Makora School New Project Case
- Provided educational assistance to 750 Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in 14 schools in Chitungwiza through the Block Grant System under the Joint Initiative Program.
- Rolled out Support a Child Campaign Programme in Masvingo, Mashonaland Central and Harare that saw over 300 church leaders trained in Child Protection focusing on Statutory Frameworks that govern child protection in Zimbabwe.
- Supported Faith Based Networks in implementing National HIV and AIDS policies in Zimbabwe. This saw 350 secondary care givers, 400 youth peer educators and 263 pastors trained on pastoral care and counselling, Community and Home Based Care among other response interventions. 25 support groups and 32 youth clubs that foster behaviour change being formed
- EFZ trained 70 maternal health champions in Epworth who are facilitating awareness raising and knowledge transfer on maternal health issues.
Future programs
- Working alongside EFZ member churches to implement lasting water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services —large or small scale, rural or urban—while bearing witness to Jesus Christ in word and deed-Water for Life in Jesus Name
- Building the advocacy capacity of the churches to meaningfully influence policies, sector guidelines, standards related to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene(WASH)
- Coordinate and network church’s effort on child protection
- Operationalize the EFZ Child protection policy
Strengthen and coordinate church HIV/AIDS Response
Implement the “EFZ every local church plant a tree Campaign” to be held on the first Sunday of December.
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