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;

• Sexual exploitation by adults within the family system or by strangers.
• Loss of identity documents like birth records, birth certificates and national identity cards.
• Dropping out of school as caregivers would have lost sources of livelihoods to finance education for their children.
• Psychological trauma associated with experiencing a disaster.
• Lack of playing time for children as focus will be on re-building by parents and they be helping in the process.
• Child labour is also a challenge that children face during disaster situations were some are forced by circumstances to resort to working to earn an income to support the family or support themselves for child headed households .
• Walking long distances to schools after relocation to places that are far away from schools.
• Bullying by other children especially when they are integrated within schools were they are resettled.
• Separation from families as some children are sent to stay with relatives while the family is rebuilding or relocation.
• Neglect from parents and guardians as concentration will be coming up with survival strategies.
• Emotional abuse by parents, guardians and other family members due to stress related to disasters. Adults tend to ventilate their anger and stress caused by disasters on children.

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;

• Provision of quality psycho-social support to all children and care givers through case work and group work.
• Provision of therapeutic tools to afford children their right to play as part of therapy.
• Facilitate birth registration for children who lost their identity documents due to a disaster.
• Provision of basic necessities so as to restore the dignity of children by addressing their needs in terms of hygiene, food and clothing as some families will be not be able to provide during such times.
• Reunification of children with their families separated due to a disaster.
• Affording children their right to education.

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;

• Capacity building of child protection structures within communities for sustainability of child protection interventions during disaster and post disaster phase especially at community level.
• Holding positive parenting sessions with parents to discuss parenting skills that are key when dealing with children especially in disaster situations.
• Hold therapeutic support groups with children affected by disasters to discuss their experiences and feelings as part of expressive therapy.
• Training of community leaders like chiefs, headsman, village heads, village health workers, and neighbourhood watch members on how to respond to child protection violations in their communities.
• Linking clients with relevant service providers based on the specific need presented.
• Training of communities and organizations on disaster risk reduction, disaster preparedness and resilience building through discussing key issues to note with reference on the disaster cycle.
• Promoting disaster education and raising awareness in schools on how children should respond in case of disasters.
• Educate children and communities on Childline child friendly reporting mechanism that include 116 free phone, online reporting through WhatsApp, 116 text and use aerograms for out of network communities. Also under reporting mechanism communities and children are educated on the presence of case care workers, police and school authorities as other available reporting systems in their communities.
• All activities are done with the supervision of Department of Social Welfare which stands as the ultimate overseer of all child protection concerns reported.

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

A sharp voice full of agony and resistance was heard screaming from the next room at the girl’s hostel. Her utterances could not be heard as they were engulfed in her weeping. The poor helpless girl’s scream faded out with time and a hoarse voice was head saying ‘After all you are my girlfriend’, that was the end of the long argument. Date rape is a situation where one is forced into having sexual intercourse with a partner he or she is dating.

NANGO 40X2 (1).pdf

MISA Zimbabwe joins the world in commemorating World Radio Day. This day is celebrated annually on the 13th of February and this year’s commemorations are being held under the theme: Dialogue, Tolerance and Peace.

This year’s theme acknowledges the role played by radio in facilitating dialogue and building tolerance through respectful sharing of divergent views, thus fostering peace within communities and nations.

The theme is indeed timeous for Zimbabwe as it coincides with the repeated calls for meaningful national dialogue to address the country’s deteriorating socio-economic and political environment in the wake of the disputed outcome of the 2018 presidential elections.   Follow the link below for the complete statement

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:

1. To build consensus on people’s aspirations for a better Zimbabwe;
2. To ensure that the transition is inclusive of all Zimbabweans regardless of political affiliation, age, race, gender ethnicity and religion;
3. To set the ground for a sustained programme of citizen action to build on the gains of the Military Assisted Transition.

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.

27 Oct 2017

1. Background

Could it be that collective work towards a national vision for Zimbabwe is the missing link in the development discourse in Zimbabwe?. In 2017, the political, social and economic environment continued to play a decisive role in determining the extent to which the citizens can or cannot realize their social, economic and political rights. The economic recession, coupled with cyclic abuse of power, impunity, social economic and political exclusion has seen the majority of the population particularly the marginalized susceptible to hunger, social dislocation of families, high levels of poverty, unemployment and underemployment, violations of human rights, not withstanding the severe shrinking of NGOs operation spaces.

Zimbabwe is currently implementing the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio Economic Transformation (ZIMASSET) which is the economic blue print guiding the country for the period 2013-2018. Agenda 2030, Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper whilst and consultations are underway for ZIMASSET 2, Special Economic Zones and how to harmonize Investment laws in Zimbabwe. What has been the major challenge is the limited or lack of involvement of non-state actors in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of national development policies and programs. The mammoth task ahead of Zimbabwe on the economic, social and political sphere demands more structured multi stakeholder collaborations and partnerships between government and non-state actors on actions and activities, which are crucial in addressing these challenges bedeviling the country. The critical role those non-state actors can play in aiding development and social economic protection of citizens is not debatable. It is therefore imperative that the NGO Directors Summer School brings together government, development partners, Commissions and other non-state actors I order to strengthen relations and chat a common way forward for Zimbabwe.

The relationship between government and non-state actors has not been smooth in the last decade with counter accusations over the years that have led to reduced engagement and collaboration levels on development issues between government and CSOs. This has compromised development and further marginalized vulnerable groups and communities.

2017 has been one of the most difficult years for government, non-state actors and even political parties. As the country gears for another harmonized election in 2018, government continues to experience tight fiscal constraint envisaged by lack of cash, and escalating costs of living amid suppressed salaries for the bulk of the labor force. For non-state actors, 2017 has seen intensification in shrinking of operating spaces, outright human rights violations targeting both the general citizenry and some human rights defenders, and massive donor flight. This has resulted in scaling down of programming work the most hit being Community Based Organizations. On the political arena the increase disjointed pressure groupings that are openly calling for various government reforms has not made any meaningful. This comes amid incessant corruption in government, unemployment, increasing poverty, poor service delivery, decline in health care and education systems, and the general contempt for the rule of law by the police. Whilst intra and inter political party violence and discord increases at the expense of national development discourses thus further disenfranchising the already marginalized communities.

It is therefore crucial for the Directors of NGOs to meet and develop a precise strategic plan that will determine alternative pathways for non-state actors. It is also necessary for NGO Directors to deliberate, discuss and agree on definitive thematic cluster priority actions and gaps, determine the engagement processes with the government and other key stakeholders, develop synergies, mechanisms and response systems to the prolonged closing up of the operating environment for NGOs and the effects of the run up to 2018 elections. This year’s summer school is aimed at dialogue towards a National Vision for Zimbabwe that promotes Transformation and Sustainable Resilient Societies

2. Why the Summer School?

NANGO is a meeting place of the hopes and aspirations of millions of men and women in their capacities as the disabled, the vulnerable, the displaced, the oppressed and a host of other marginalized groups. Concomitantly NANGO bears the responsibility of unifying these various concerns by creating spaces for collaboration, mutual support and the development of common best practices. One of these spaces is the annual NGO Directors Summer School, a platform created for senior leadership in the NGO Sector to meet and share knowledge and information with development partners, government and the corporate community. One of the aims being to facilitate dialogue and creation of synergies amongst various stakeholders in an endeavor to bridge the gap between the general citizenry and policy makers for meaningful realization of national development.

3. Objectives of the 2017 NGO Directors Summer School

1. To share knowledge on the challenges and possibilities for non-state actors’ active participation Towards a National Vision for Zimbabwe: Promoting transformation and sustainable resilient societies
2. To define and determine thematic/cluster specific alternative funding and programming pathways and synergies for non-state actors.
3. To develop a common engagement plan with government and development partners towards opening up of operating spaces for non-state actors.
4. To appreciate and share information, lessons learnt and best practices on NGO sustainability.

4. Expected Outputs

1. A clear understanding of the challenges and possible avenues for private and not for profit sectors partnerships in national development.
2. Creation of synergies and follow up dialogue platforms for future engagements with government, private sector and funding partners.
3. Clearly defined and precise thematic/cluster funding and programming pathways for non-state actors.
4. An engagement plan with government on the opening up of operating spaces for non-state actors agreed upon.
5. Knowledge sharing of information, lessons learned and best practices amongst Directors of NGOs

5. Stakeholders to the Conference

It is expected that the strategic planning meeting will bring together 100 NGO Directors from across the country. Also the following stakeholders have been invited as well to share experiences and knowledge: Government Ministries and Institutions, Labor, Development Partners, >Private Sector and >the Church

6. Methodology/Activities
DAY 1>: 9 November 2017: NGO 2017 Update, state of civil society: “ towards a National Vision for Zimbabwe” 

The first day will be a working session for stakeholders whose main purpose is to assess implementation progress for 2017, define NGO engagement strategy within the current context and define the role of non state actors in Agenda 2030, peaceful 2018 elections and towards a National Vision for Zimbabwe. This will inform and enrich the multi-stakeholder donor, government and business discussions that will take place the next day.

DAY 2: >10 November 2017: Multi-stakeholder Dialogue: “ Promoting transformation and sustainable resilient societies”

Day two will focus on dialogue between civil society, development partners, government and business. The day will explore critical development ideas, good governance and explore opportunities for partnerships between state and non-state actors. It will be a platform for different stakeholders to dialogue on measures necessary to ensure that Zimbabweans, both state and non- state actors work towards promoting transformation and sustainable resilient societies. Stakeholders shall be drawn from a variety of sectors.

7. Conference Schedule and Venue

The meeting will take place from 9-10 November 2017 as follows.

9 November 2017: NGO 2017 Update, state of civil society: “ towards a National Vision for Zimbabwe”

10 November 2017: Multi-stakeholder Dialogue: “ Promoting transformation and sustainable resilient societies” 

The Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ), a network of women rights activists and women’s rights organizations joins the world in commemorating International Women’s Day. WCoZ further proclaim the Month of March as Women’s Month for action towards a society where women and girls rights are respected and protected.

Despite various laws, policies, new constitution, regional and international instruments that Zimbabwe committed to advance women’s rights, the country continues to experience deficits in the full implementation of commitments, allocation of adequate resources and political will to enable a conducive socio-economic and political environment for advancement of the agenda for women and girls to enjoy and assert their rights.

NANGO_Article_march 12.pdf

19 Jun 2017

It is our sincere hope that we all celebrated the Day of the African Child very well. NANGO joined the like-minded organisations in celebrating the day. As NANGO we believe in the best interest of the child as provided for in the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) article 3 and in the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) article 4. NANGO also encourages Government and all other stakeholders in the fight for the fulfilment of the rights of the child to do it in line with the four pillars of children’s rights namely;

• Survival and Development of the child,
• Equality and Non Discrimination,
•  Child’s right to Participation, and
• The best Interest of the Child.

The constitution of Zimbabwe provides for the rights of children in section 81. It is important to note that in celebrating these provisions in our constitution as they could be used as tool to claim the rights of a child. This was the case with the banning of girl child marriages recently by the High Court. More efforts need to employed by the like minded stakeholders if respect and  enjoyment of  human rights were to be achieved. Children’s rights are human rights.

NANGO congratulates Childline Zimbabwe, His Excellency the Junior Mayor of Harare, Nigel Mharapara, and Zimbabwe National Council for the Welfare of Children for their statements celebrating the day shared we us.

3 Jul 2017

Many Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Zimbabwe today are involved in humanitarian and development work, democracy and governance issues, and the promotion and protection of human rights. The work of CSOs in involved in the promotion and protection of human rights is found in different thematic areas that include civil and political rights, economic, social and cultural rights, women’s rights, children’s rights, the rights of people with disabilities, the media and environment. For instance the National Association of Non Governmental Organisation (NANGO) has ten thematic   areas that its member organisations are clustered in to effectively deal with the ills, peculiarities and challenges of human rights in these different thematic areas.

Civil society work in human rights involves, among other interventions and activities;

• Providing care and assistance to those in need, for instance in terms of access to shelter, food, safe drinking water;
• Capacity building for fellow CSOs and other stakeholders such as governments
• Advocating and lobbying for the ratification, domestication and implementation of relevant human rights treaties and as well as for other issues affecting the different civil society sectors
•  Litigation, including supporting vulnerable groups such as women, children and indigent people
• Human rights reporting, e.g. Shadow reporting;
• Focusing on the constitution to ensure that government delivers on the rights enshrined in the constitution. Some of the sectors are also participating in the government process to align the laws with the constitution and working on issues pertaining to the practical implementation of constitutional provisions; and
• Dissemination of human rights and related information and raising awareness on the human rights situation in relation to rights such as socio-economic rights.

Target groups for CSOs include among others women, children, the youth, the underprivileged, marginalised and vulnerable, victims of abuse such as sexual abuse and so forth. Some CSOs work with the government at central government level and also at local government level. Normally they work with line ministries, departments or agencies in their respective thematic areas and with local governments structures, including the local political and traditional leadership.

In Zimbabwe, while most organisations produce reports on their activities, usual on an annual basis, which usual is shared with other CSOs, funding partners and other stakeholders, very few organisations produce reports on the human rights situation in the country, be it reports on the overall human rights situation or on the specific thematic areas or issues. The exceptional few include Zimbawe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZHLR) NGO Forum and Childline.  Also, not many CSOs systematically monitor and document the implementation of human rights generally and human rights violations in particular (the like of Counselling Services Unity (CSU). Most of the organisations that monitor and document human rights either rely on tools developed by other stakeholders, such as the United Nations (UN).

     This article was inserted and flighted by the National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO)

     The National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO) is the official coordinating umbrella body of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) operating in Zimbabwe. Its aim is to strengthen, represent, and coordinate the work of NGOs in Zimbabwe by creating space dialogue and engagement to enable the fulfilment of members ‘visions and missions.  For comments and feedback please reach us through: director.nango@gmail.com.