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Education for Family Transformation (EFT) Project
Overview
DISTRICT: Irisvale, Umzingwane District
PROVINCE: Matebeleland South
Objective
Contributing towards the empowerment of vulnerable women and girls in Irisvale through utilization of non-formal educational approaches.
Objective
- To improve income generating streams for 50 households
- To strengthen the capacity of men, women, boys and girls on addressing harmful cultural practices that perpetuate Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV)
Activities
Gender and Positive Masculinities Training
Self Help Groups (SHG’s)
More than 90 women and girls are benefiting from the established SHG’s in the district. The project established 9 SHG groups and more are to established in all the 13 villages. The SHG are to diversify livelihood options for the community to the extent of introducing new farming projects such as goat breeding and piggery. Of the 9 SHGs 3 groups have started community gardening with one group purchasing a water pump to use for their irrigation projects. The other 6 SHG’s are still fundraising for their in dividual livelihoods projects.
Poultry Projects
32 young women and girls are beneficiaries to the broiler keeping and management project in Umzingwane district Irisvale village. Some of the young women and girls are now involved in small businesses such as merchandising and small enterprising some now own livestock in their names. 3 of the girls have thriving poultry business which are linked with new markets in Mawabeni and other nearby villages. These 3 girls poultry business trade between 300- 400 birds every 2 months. We are hoping that the project will develop inclusive business development strategies that focus on relieving market constraints, and increasing returns to farmers.
Introducing Climate Smart Agriculture Practices
The project is also embarking on CSA techniques on the garden in order to deal with the ravaging climate change within the society. While Irisvale receives very minimal rainfall and has a low water table, there is need to engage in climate smart crops which will ensure maximum production in the garden with the little available water resources. This will be done in collaboration with the AGRITEX in conducting CSA trainings on the best water conservation methods, conservation agriculture so as to maximise on the produce which will be value added on the solar dryer, packaged and sold.
Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Positive masculinity champions – In order to promote community driven initiatives, the project have capacitated 40 SGBV champions and 35 positive masculinity champions who are spearheading SGBV initiatives at village level within the Irisvale Ward. So far, a total of 4 community initiatives have been conducted at village level, 2 were couples’ seminars which brought a total of 30 couples to discuss on marital issues and how to live harmoniously as husband and wife. 2 community multistakeholder meetings were conducted and these mobilized like minded organizations such as as Musasa project, Ministry of Women Affairs, Zimbabwe Republic Police Victim Friendly Unit and Zimbabwe Association of Church related hospitals (ZACH) who are also working on issues of gender. These meetings positioned church in Irisvale within the district referral pathway. Church in Irisvale is now considered as a referral assisting survivors of SGBV within the communities
Gender Action Learning Systems (Gals) Training of Trainers
In order to promote community driven initiatives, the project conducted a training on gender action learning systems which capacitated the community on individual life and livelihood planning, collective action and gender advocacy for change, institutional awareness raising and changing power relationship with service providers, private sector stakeholders and government bodies and how to be gender sensitive within church and communities. The training equipped the community on understanding how gender balance is crucial and important within various groups including the community committees, church committees and farmer group committees. The training of trainers facilitated the establishment of a knowledge hubs where the trained community members (GALS Facilitators) are to cascade the training to at least 3 community groups within their villages per each trained individual. The training of trainers capacitated a total of 13 traditional leaders in Irisvale community as they are the custodians of culture and as they are the community gatekeepers and have a very positive influence on their people. Currently the communities have engaged MWACSMED on economic empowerment issues
GALS Facilitators
SHGs Training
Couples Training
Poultry Production for Young Women ready for the market
Menstrual Hygiene Promotion
In order to address sanitary poverty and the promotion of menstrual hygiene management in Zimbabwe EFZ in the 2023 through the anticipatory approach initiative distributed 600 dignity kits which comprised of bath towels, dental care kit, bath soaps, washing soaps, roll on, Vaseline, skin tights, sanitary pads both reusable and disposables, undergarmets and a Zambia. The distribution was done in political hot spots as well as domestic violence hot places and these included, Chiredzi, Mvurwi, Makoni, Mutasa, Domboshava and Gokwe South and North. The dignity kits lessened the burden of sanitary poverty as the kits included washable sanitary pads and also included underwear garments. The menstrual hygiene trainings increased the levels ok knowledge and awareness on menstrual hygiene and this contribute to decrease the cervical cancer cases as well as domestic abuse as women and girls are aware of the dangers of using harmful sanitary wear substitutes.
In 2024 EFZ is spearheading a sanitary wear donation drive in all the 10 provinces of Zimbabwe and it is anticipating to assist more that 1000 girls in Zimbabwe. This sanitary wear drive is coordinated through the EFZ women’s ministry led by the Women Provincial chairladies. We are calling upon all men and women in Zimbabwe to kindly join the sanitary wear drive as together we can assist a girl by boosting her period confidence. Kindly donate in cash or in kind in the form of sanitary pads, tooth pastes, undergarments etc
