Tafadzwa Brighton Mashingaidze

In the face of intensifying climate change impacts and increasing vulnerability, Christian Care Zimbabwe is spearheading a transformative project in the Bikita and Zaka districts of Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe. The initiative, titled “Building Sustainable Livelihoods and Climate Resilience to Mitigate Displacement in Zimbabwe,” is a remarkable example of how local communities can lead efforts to address climate challenges, ensuring sustainable development while safeguarding their natural ecosystems.

This project addresses two critical needs: improving community access to groundwater and enhancing sustainable livelihoods, with a strong emphasis on building resilience to climate-induced threats. At its core, the initiative is grounded in an Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EbA) model, driven by the communities themselves. Through this approach, local stakeholders are directly involved in designing and implementing key interventions, while Christian Care and its partners provide strategic support.

The project’s success lies in its holistic approach, linking environmental conservation with livelihood improvements. This is demonstrated through a variety of activities that not only mitigate environmental degradation but also provide economic opportunities to the communities. The core activities include:

• Wetland Protection and Water Conservation: To secure the availability of water resources, communities have actively protected and rehabilitated wetlands, enhancing natural water discharge. The wetlands, which are vital ecosystems in this semi-arid region, now provide much-needed water for both agricultural and household use.
• Construction of Weirs: The project has overseen the construction of weirs—small dams built across rivers or streams to capture and store water. This technique ensures that during the dry season, the harvested water can be used to irrigate crops and support livestock, boosting agricultural productivity even in drought-prone periods.
• Sustainable Livelihood Projects: By promoting activities such as small-scale irrigation schemes, nutrition gardens, fish farming, apiculture (beekeeping), and fruit orchards, the project has empowered communities to diversify their income sources. These livelihood initiatives not only provide immediate economic benefits but also foster long-term sustainability, reducing the vulnerability of households to economic shocks.

A significant aspect of this project is its contribution to biodiversity and ecosystem conservation. Wetland protection and reforestation efforts have promoted the restoration of natural habitats, ensuring the survival of various species that are crucial for maintaining ecological balance. By integrating agroforestry and organic farming practices, the project has enhanced soil health and biodiversity, while reducing reliance on chemical inputs that degrade ecosystems.

These efforts have reinforced the interdependence between humans and nature, highlighting how sustainable livelihoods and environmental stewardship can go hand in hand. The project demonstrates that when communities are given the tools and support to manage their natural resources, they become powerful custodians of biodiversity, ensuring that ecosystems continue to thrive for future generations.

At the heart of this initiative is the principle of community ownership. The local communities of Bikita and Zaka are not passive beneficiaries; they are at the forefront of implementing the activities that are transforming their lives. Their rights to access and manage natural resources are recognized and upheld throughout the project. Christian Care and its partners, including government agencies, civil society, and international donors, play a supportive role, providing technical assistance, capacity-building, and funding, but the community drives the process.

This approach ensures that the solutions are culturally appropriate and tailored to the specific needs of the people, which enhances sustainability and resilience. The involvement of women, youth, and marginalized groups in decision-making processes further promotes equity, ensuring that the benefits of the project are widely shared.

Christian Care’s initiative offers valuable lessons for the global community on the interconnections between human well-being, nature conservation, and sustainability. It highlights the potential of Ecosystem-Based Adaptation to address multiple challenges simultaneously: climate change, food insecurity, biodiversity loss, and poverty.

The project underscores the importance of empowering local communities to take the lead in managing their own resources. By centering human rights and community participation, Christian Care demonstrates that effective climate resilience strategies must be inclusive, context-specific, and community-driven. The active role of local people in designing and implementing solutions ensures that the interventions are sustainable, resilient, and adaptable to changing circumstances.

Furthermore, the success of this project illustrates how integrating climate mitigation and adaptation efforts with livelihood enhancement can create a win-win scenario for both people and nature. As climate change continues to disrupt lives and ecosystems globally, the world can look to initiatives like this one for inspiration on how to foster resilience and sustainability from the ground up.

Lingwe villagers of Matobo ward 8 recently celebrated the commissioning of the Lingwe piped water scheme that will help resolve the water challenges faced in the area.

The water will benefit over 1 300 people in the ward, that is over 135 households including some from neighbouring wards.

“We have incorporated a school with 230 pupils, a garden with 50 farmers and a dip tank with 201 farmers, whose cattle amount to 1 398. The residents who will benefit are from wards 8,9, 10 as well as villagers from Lingwe village under Chief Bidi,” said a local representative of the scheme, Evis Ndlovu.

The village has gone for 24 years without clean drinking water as attempts to drill a borehole have proved futile.

“We stayed for 24 years drinking dirty water, water with human waste. The efforts made to survey the area for purposes of drilling a borehole would only result in dry waves” said Evis Ndlovu.

Ward 8 is in one of the 10 dry wards of Matobo district, and this has led to most borehole surveys yielding negative results.

“The district falls into region 4 and 5 which is characterized by poor rainfall patterns, in this regard it is imperative to note that, the southern part of this district comprising of ward 1 to 10 has very little chances of success in terms of drilling boreholes due to a low water table,” highlighted CEO of Matobo Rural District Council, Mr Elvis Sibanda.

Lingwe once had a pipeline system that was operational from 1991 to 1998 running on diesel, the scheme stopped working due to various challenges faced by the elders in the community.

The commissioned scheme was built on this old pipeline, transforming the old diesel engine to a solar powered engine.

The piped water scheme will ensure that community members consume treated water.

BY Fiona Mpofu MYDI

Christian Care in partnership with UNICEF and Government of Zimbabwe is implementing Project on Emergency response to Cholera in Zaka district Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe. Today we had been amplifying Cholera awareness campaigns through refresher course training of Village Health Workers (VHW) on Cholera case management and Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) in Ward 20 (Zibwowa area) in Zaka. We hope to combat Cholera affecting vulnerable communities and causing unnecessary mortality. Capacity building of Village Health Workers on Participatory Health and Hygiene Education (PHHE) equips them with the requisite skills and knowledge for them to teach others. This is Public Health, so play your part and SAVE-LIVE. Donate to Christian Care and your contribution will go a long way in alleviating the unnecessary suffering by vulnerable community in Masvingo province.

Joana Murambasvina, a Lead Farmer in one of the Farmer Field School, in ward 13 of Zaka district in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe. The farmer was trained on conservation farming (CF) principles in October 2023. After implementing principles of CF such as basin making, mulching, 75 cm x 75 cm spacing, proper application of fertilizer etc, the farmer is expecting better yield even though there was less rainfall in 2023/24 farming season. Climate change is real, less implement proper farming technology. We grateful to the support that we are getting from Zimbabwe Government Key line ministries and our partners Act for peace and Global Mission Partner, from Australia for the support on building community resilience to drought.

Christian Care in partnership with Act For Peace (AFP) and Global Mission Partners (GPM) is complementing Government of Zimbabwe efforts in creating community resilience to climate change effects. Under Building sustainable livelihoods and climate resilience to mitigate displacement in Zaka, Zimbabwe, the organisation aim to improve access to ground water and sustainable livelihoods. Therefore, in the first year of intervention July 2022 to June 2023, the organisation managed to rehabilitate 12 hectares of wetland and drilled borehole in ward 28, Majasi Zaka. On second year of intervention July 2023 to date, the organisation solarised the drilled borehole, and installed 2 x 10 000 Liter tanks and fenced 2 hectares garden aimed at improving food security and nutrition for households. In the garden 8 water taps were installed for watering the garden and provision of safe and clean water for the community. 146 households, participated in fencing the wetland and some are set to benefit from the garden, orchard, and beekeeping project.