An estimated of 280 million children are living in both monetary and non-monetary poverty across the world, more than half of which are in Africa. In Zimbabwe, estimates show that of the 6.3 million children, 78% live in consumption poverty and 26% live in extreme. A recent Multiple Overlapping Deprivation Analysis (MODA) (2016) estimates that 72% of the all children experienced at least one deprivation, whilst 57% of children experienced at least two deprivations.
Three stakeholders concurred that transparency is key in budget processes. This will in turn ensure participation which leads to poverty reduction.
Nyamadzawo from UNICEF noted that child poverty as one of the key developmental challenges confronting the world.
He highlighted that “It is important to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to end child poverty – current and future – through domestic resources. The capacity of governments to mobilize domestic resources – mainly through taxation – and spend them effectively and efficiently at national and sub national levels will therefore determine their success in addressing child poverty”.
While giving his presentation on supporting open budgeting in Zimbabwe, Nyamadzawo also acknowledged the efforts done by NANGO and IBP in further strengthening the capacity of Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MoFED) towards enhancing budgeting processes. He also said the meeting should deliver a strategy not only to carry the mandate of the government but of the people of Zimbabwe. Nyamadzawo added that there is need for a road map that can lead to a more open, transparent, accountable and participatory budgeting process delivering real results for the people and children of Zimbabwe.
IBP budget expert, David Robbins, said he believes that it’s natural for the public and government to engage in the budget.
“After the entire budget is drafted it then becomes important to establish whether public money will be spent on the public. This strengthens the relationship between the government and its citizens, it is the heart of democratic services Therefore the budget becomes the bridge hence OBS seeks to test the strength of budgets as bridges”, he said.
Robbins emphasised that OBS measures transparency, oversight and public participation.
The vice chairperson of NANGO, Barbra Matsanga noted that the issues of budget transparency, accountability and stakeholder participation are crucial in promoting a democratic development state that is critical in addressing the social, economic and governance issues impacting positively to the generality of the people today.
“The attendance of key government departments at the meeting reflects the urgency and seriousness the government attaches to fiscal reforms that open up spaces for citizens to engage with the national budget and other processes the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development undertakes”, she said.
Economic development and poverty reduction can be effectively enhanced under an environment of good governance, characterized by, among other things, fiscal transparency and accountability. National budgets that are accountable, efficient, and transparent are crucial in the fight against poverty, inequality and fulfilment of child rights and progress towards the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Budget transparency leads to better-informed public debate about the design and results of fiscal policy, makes governments more accountable for budget implementation, and thereby strengthens credibility and public understanding of macroeconomic policies and choices. Greater transparency over revenue flows, including from natural resource and development partners is necessary to enhance accountability and to curb corruption. In a bid to improve on budget transparency and accountability, Zimbabwe has been participating in the Open Budget Survey for the previous years, including 2017 OBS.
From 27 February to 2 March NANGO hosted a meeting with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Auditor General’s office, Zimbabwe Economic Policy Analysis and Research Unit (ZEPARU) and UNICEF to identify opportunities and gaps to improve the country’s performance in the survey through unpacking the 2017 Open Budget Survey (OBS) country results.
Heads of Matabeleland CSOs attended the European Union (EU) Roadmap regional consultative meeting that was held at the Rainbow Hotel in Bulawayo on 7 March 2017.
The meeting gave CSOs the opportunity to interact, critique and give recommendations to the EU ambassador and others.
British Ambassador, Catriona Laing, asked if Bulawayo CSOs see a window of opportunity with the new political dispensation.
In response the Christian Alliance director, Reverend Useni Sibanda said, “Yes there is a window of opportunity mostly because the government is desperate to gain legitimacy and foreign investment and this gives CSOs room to test genuineness.
However, he added that he does not see the government’s current attitude going beyond elections and advised the ambassadors not to release any money before certain conditions are met”.
Liberty Bhebhe, National Youth Development Trust director, added that “The new dispensation does give opportunities for engagement but these rest with chapter 12 commissions. Part of the major challenge is that the environment is still restrictive like we’ve heard that youth officers are not operational yet on the ground they are. What happened in November 2017 and after is that we had an openly militarised space and this led to an increase in the shutting of other spaces. For instance, the parliamentary portfolio committee is open but the media remains shut. There’s still a challenge of pretences although this government is more open for engagement with the international community”.
Like Sibanda, Bhebhe also expressed scepticism saying, “We stay weary of what could happen post elections”.
EU Ambassador, Philippe Van Damme responded to concerns about why EU does not directly channel funding towards Community Based Organisations (CBOs) by saying despite that EU has no calls targeting CBOs it does not mean they are shut out, instead they can still receive funding through consortiums.
He gave an example of the National Indicative Program whose implementation NANGO will soon be resuming in all regions.
Van Damme also said CBOs should not compete among themselves instead they should increase their capacities and be productive local partners that will strengthen the region.
Funding of CBOs was a contentious issue in EU Roadmap meetings held in Masvingo, Mutare and Gweru.
In all the regions’ discussions with EU it was also brought out that there is need for capacity building that is tailor-made for organisations in order to enhance sustainability and relevance of programs.
Van Damme was joined by British, French, Romanian, Swedish, Netherlands, Portuguese, Spanish and German ambassadors to Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe AIDS Network (ZAN) convened key populations with the objective of amplifying civil society voices around the need for domestic health funding, proposing strategies for effective key populations programming and discussing common approaches to advocate for increased key populations’ access to health services.
Tendai Mbengeranwa, the key populations coordinator for National Aids Council (NAC) highlighted some of the opportunities on which the key populations programme is built on. He said Zimbabwe has joined the rest of the world and committed to ending AIDS by 2030 and has also adopted the UNAIDS fast track Targets and Prevention Revitalisation Roadmap.
Mbengeranwa also applauded the Zimbabwe constitution whose section 76 speaks of the right to health for everyone without any form of discrimination. He also commended the national sex work programme currently being run by CeSHHAR at 36 sites.
“Some of the bold steps taken so far for female sex workers include having CeSHHAR offering both clinical and research services at 36 sites nationwide along high ways and hot spots,” he said.
By March 2017 Ceshhar had reached approximately 56000 female sex workers.
According to the NAC coordinator, the programme rides on a strong peer educators’ network. The educators are also members of associations & research components. Services offered include free STI treatment, HIV testing, family planning, mobilisation for prep and art, condoms both male and female, legal advice through partnerships with Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR). Other partners complimenting CeSHHAR include; SAfAIDS, Katswe, Hands of Hope. Most of these are mainly into advocacy and community mobilisation.
Female sex workers’ movement WAAD has been registered as a trust with support from ZLHR, and has just had their first planning meeting and has documented short and long term plans. Sex worker coalition have done a concept note to scale up martus. However, Mbengeranwa highlighted limited reporting to NAC, limited alternatives economic option for female sex workers, growing challenge of children selling sex, weak referral systems, weak monitoring and evaluation systems within partners and NAC and weak associations as some of the weaknesses of programming in Zimbabwe.
Disasters present traumatic experiences for children and they are one of the most vulnerable groups during and following a disaster. Children also constitute the majority of victims during disaster situations. Their coping ability also cannot be compared to adults because of their age. The experience of witnessing a disaster of any form still present a lot of psychological problems for children. Also the chaos and disruption of family and community life following natural disasters oftentimes creates a ripe environment for those who seek to exploit and abuse children. Moreover, the distress caused by the disaster itself presents key challenges to the psychosocial wellbeing of children, their care-givers and their families.
Zimbabwe has not been spared by the devastating effects of disasters especially hydrologic disasters the most common being floods. Floods in Zimbabwe have caused displacement of communities forcing them to be evacuated to new settlements or confined to holding camps for safety. During such experiences, children experience a number of challenges that need intervention from various stakeholders responsible during disaster response. For the past decade the country has experienced floods and hail storms across the country that have caused great damage, the most affected areas being Tsholotsho and Muzarabani. However, the 2016/17 rainy season saw the effects of Cyclone Dineo causing heavy precipitation in many areas namely Bulawayo, Tsholotsho, Matobo, Kezi, Umzingwane, Bulilima, Gokwe South and Mberengwa districts causing riverine and flash flooding and subsequent destruction of property and loss of human life in some areas. Many families were affected as some lost their properties.
It should be noted that when disasters strike, children and women seem to suffer most. Therefore, there are many child protection concerns that arise as a result of disasters and below are some of the challenges children face during and post-disaster phase;
Possible interventions or considerations to help and protect children in disaster situations
| Child protection programming in emergencies encompasses activities aimed at protecting children from and responding to violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect, and at strengthening children’s psychosocial wellbeing and development. Below are some interventions that are critical for children during disaster situations; |
Role of Childline Zimbabwe in Emergencies in partnership with government and other civic society organizations.
As child centred organization Childline Zimbabwe responds through various interventions that are meant to help the community cope with disaster effects. In helping the communities, children constitute the primary beneficiaries of the services offered by the organization. All help given should benefit the child and making sure the best interests of the child are upheld to the maximum level. Through funding from organizations like UNICEF, Childline implement various programmes during disaster and emergence situations and services offered include but not limited to;
Children in disaster situations have a right to be protected from all harmful acts. We are all responsible!!!
By Alfred Ncube, Training Officer Childline Zimbabwe
Asking a donor for funding can be both difficult and stressful. Merely getting a response from donors can be difficult and it is easy to get discouraged. Approaching a new donor can feel very impersonal; it is hard to picture the person on the other end who will receive your message. Even after you make a contact, maintaining that contact takes a lot of work. To successfully build and maintain relationships with donors, it is very important to get into their shoes and understand their perspective. Here is our list of top ideas to remind yourself each time you approach a donor.
1. Donors are human.
Donors just like you and me, have their own ideas, their own lives as well as their own likes and dislikes. Do not think of networking as trying to manipulate some exotic species, but instead as having a good conversation with another person about important work. Donors typically respond best to people who share their interest in changing the world rather than people who clearly have their own agenda.
Donors want to accomplish something with their funding. Often it is personal experience, passion for a certain cause or a moral obligation that inspire donors to be donors. Understanding what motivates each donor and what they want to accomplish is key in structuring your approach. Donors often have their own goals and you need to make sure your goals and the goals of the donor align.
2. Donors give money for a reason.
Donors are not required to give, but do so of their own volition. Donors want to accomplish something with their funding. Often it is personal experience, passion for a certain cause or a moral obligation that inspire donors to be donors. Understanding what motivates each donor and what they want to accomplish is key in structuring your approach. Donors often have their own goals and you need to make sure your goals and the goals of the donor align.
3. Donors are busy.
Donors sometimes have hundreds or even thousands of people asking for support, and as such they cannot give their full attention to all of them. Thus make it easy for donors to work with you! Be patient, do not waste their time, keep emails concise, let conversations be to the point, have all necessary information ready and easily accessible by the donor. Do not ask donors basic or vague questions that you could easily find answers to in a quick online search. Building rapport is really great, but first feel out if the other party has the time and is interested.
4. Donors have their own way of doing things.
Donors typically manage multiple grants at once and so like to have some consistency in the way applications are submitted, how accounts are kept, how monitoring and evaluation is run etc. While a one-size-fits-all approach does not work for all projects, try to work within the donor’s parameters as much as possible. Research the donor beforehand so you know what to expect from them. If some of their requirements do not suit your project, explain to them the difficulties and try to reach a solution.
5. Donors have worries of their own. Donors may have to make reports to their government, tax authority, accountants, board members, the public etc. Donors are often expected to be transparent, show improvement and maintain a good public image. Because of this, many donors are very risk-adverse, maintain high due diligence requirements and set high reporting standards. While this can make donors very bureaucratic, slow and at times difficult to work with, it is important to understand why these steps are in place and try to be as honest and helpful as possible. Donors will appreciate it.
6. Donors are not ATMs. Do not approach donors only when you need money. Long-term relationships are not built by only receiving checks. Keep donors updated with the work you are doing- both success and set-backs. Donors have a lot of experience in seeing projects to completion, so they may have some suggestions for you. Additionally, you may have valuable local information donors are interested in knowing. Donors often keep track of macro trends, but they may be lacking in the local knowledge or know-how that you are privy to. Relationships should be mutually beneficial, so think of ways you can provide information or support back to donors.
7. Donors can give more than just money.
Funding is only a part of what good donors can offer you. Many donors are field experts and can advise you on current trends as well as on the technical aspects of running a project. Donors are often well-connected and may be able to recommend other potential partner NGOs consultants, and sometimes even other donors. Donors may also be willing to lend their credibility to you. They may be willing to let you use their name, write a recommendation, advertise for you or even sometimes fundraise on your behalf. Always ask first before assuming what a donor can or cannot do.
8. Donors care about the results.
This can be hard to swallow, but new donors tend to care little about your NGO; they care about making a change or improving the lives of the beneficiaries, and your NGO is just the vehicle for these results. Still, once a donor agrees to fund you, they are now interested in your success. Use this chance to prove to the donor that it was their support and your team that was able to bring about the desired results. Once donors see your effectiveness firsthand, they will start to care more about your NGO. This can result in more willingness to give follow-up grants, core support, and sometimes even fund capital investments.
9. Donors cannot read your mind.
While many donors are field experts, you should never assume all donors understand the exact context your NGO is operating in. For applications, it always helps to give some relevant background information. Do not just explain the project, but why the project is important. Try to avoid using acronyms or jargon unless you know for a fact who your readers are and what their experience level in your field is. Even for experts, writing that in simple form and to the point is often appreciated.
10. Donors like to have fun too.
Like most people, donors enjoy the feeling of doing good. Make sure they feel good about funding your NGO; write thank-you letters send them updates, and maybe even invite them to the field. When writing applications, make sure the content is engaging. Your project is important and exciting, however project applications often read as dry and dull. You can easily fix this by adding pictures, making the formatting more inviting, including stories or interesting facts, changing the tone of the application to a less rigid and more engaging one.
Following the latest political developments in the country, some representatives from the churches, Civil Society Organisations, Social Movements and Labour have met to kick start dialogue amongst all citizens through the National Envisioning Platform. As one of our key stakeholders in the Civil Society Sector we do hereby invite you to a one day National People’s Convention which is guided by the following objectives:
Our understanding of the Military Assisted Transition
The Zimbabwe Defence Forces has played a decisive role in catalysing the demise of President Robert Mugabe’s rule, a role roundly endorsed by Zimbabweans through public marches held on Saturday the 18th of November. This military intervention has occurred at the intersection of succession battles within ZANU PF and the widespread suffering and despair of many Zimbabweans after years of social and economic decline and political repression. However welcome the MAT, the resulting transitional process should be determined by citizens and not exclusively by ZANU PF, the army, or international forces to accommodate the views and perspectives of all Zimbabweans.
Towards a people driven transition
All Zimbabweans must have a voice in light of this transition. Such an inclusive transitional process characterised by principles of broad consultation, constitutionalism, safeguarding of fundamental freedoms and respect for human dignity is important as we determine the country’s future.
Participation in the National People’s Convention
The National Envisioning Platform therefore calls upon all Zimbabweans of good will to embrace this moment as a window of opportunity to author a new direction for Zimbabwe. Let us therefore allow ourselves to collectively pursue this dream.
Date: Friday 24 November 2017
Venue: Harare International Conference Centre
Time: 0800
RSVP: The National Association for Non-Governmental Organisations: Joy or Charity on 708761 or charity@nango.org.zw
The Zimbabwe Council of Churches
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
The Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe
Sincerely,
Mr. Leonard Mandishara Acting Executive Director.
he National Association of Non Governmental Organisations (NANGO), the umbrella body of NGOs operating in Zimbabwe, notes with concern the current political developments in the nation, which impacts on the peace and stability of the country. We call on all stakeholders to remain focused, composed and guided by the Constitution. Zimbabweans are a peace-loving people, a heritage that we cherish.
Of note, we have observed in the past few months, the escalation of seeming hostilities within the political landscape and the current intervention by the military in the current political environment. We stress the need to amicably resolve these differences.
As civil society in Zimbabwe, we note the supremacy of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and call upon the concerned parties to uphold, respect and abide by its provisions. In this regard, we invite the people of Zimbabwe to join us in calling for unity, peace, tranquility, respect to the sanctity of human life and stability, which we are so renowned for as Zimbabweans.
We are one people! We are one Zimbabwe! Lets Stand United.