by dapp | Apr 10, 2018 | Blog, News
The basic water ,health and sanitation of the Nyanga community is set to significantly improve following the handover of materials to rehabilitate and build water and sanitation facilities under the USAID ’s Community Water Supply, Sanitation, Hygiene, and Natural Resources Management (C-WASH) project being impemented by DAPP Zimbabwe.
Officially handing over the equipment worth 40 thousand dollars the Provincial Water and Sanitation Sub-Committee Chairperson for Manicaland Robert Chawatama said the materials will construct or rehabilitate 83 boreholes, 45 pumps to extract water, 105 drinking troughs for animals, and 102 latrines.
At the same event a total of 18 community latrine and water pan builders and 16 village pump mechanics,who had been trained by Development Aid from People to People (DAPP) Zimbabwe graduated. With guidance from the District Development Fund, these builders and mechanics will assist the communities in constructing and repairing their water infrastructure and ensure long-term sustainability.
USAID Zimbabwe Acting Mission Director Bruce Abrams said “With this newly acquired technical expertise and building materials, these communities are now able to protect themselves against water-borne diseases.”
USAID’s C-WASH activities will provide safe and clean water to 2,400 households and six schools in the district (Sanhani Primary, Mbiriyadi Primary, Chapataronga Primary, Kazozo Primary, Chimusasa Primary, and Fombe Secondary Schools).
The communities of Nyanga North have long grappled with access to safe and clean water due to frequent breakdowns of boreholes. Some families travel for 10 kilometers to access safe water while others sleep queuing for water at the boreholes.
C-WASH is a two-year, $1.5 million activity launched in 2015 and funded by USAID. It seeks to address the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and natural resource management challenges in targeted rural areas of Zimbabwe. DAPP Zimbabwe and Zim-AHEAD will jointly implement C-WASH, which targets four districts in Zimbabwe: Chimanimani, Mutasa, Chipinge, and Nyanga.
by dapp | Apr 10, 2018 | Blog, News
DAPP Zimbabwe launched a four month campaign to end early and forced child marriages in Bindura district of Mashonaland Central Province. The campaign running from November 2015 to February 2016 will be carried out under the existing HOPE program which focuses on the protection of children. The campaign will tackle issues to do with entrenched cultural practices, social norms and religious practices that have fuelled the occurrence of forced and early child marriages.
Key activities of the campaign will include:
- To mobilise leaders and activists to take action to prevent early and forced child marriages
- To raise community awareness on the rights of girls in line with Human rights and Women’s Rights Statutes
- To raise awareness on the negative effects of early and forced marriages on girls in Mashonaland Central Province
- To undertake advocacy efforts towards policy harmonization in Zimbabwe
The “I am PRECIOUS” Campaign through activities such as opinion dialogue sessions with Community Members, solidarity march ,debates with Junior Parliamentarians and radio programs is expected to increase awareness of the negative effects of early and forced child marriages, and contribute towards ending the violation of child rights.
The “I am Precious” campaign has been made possible though the generous support from the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI)
by dapp | Apr 10, 2018 | Blog, News
The Total Control of the Epidemic (TCE) one on one approach proved to be popular among the visitors that stopped by the Humana People to People stand which featured DAPP Zimbabwe activities. DAPP Zimbabwe’s response to the UNAIDS’ 90 90 90 target was the major selling point, with TCE being the vehicle to achieving the goals.
TCE starts with testing the individual for HIV in the areas where DAPP works.
Each person is engaged in dialogue where issues about HIV/AIDS are discussed in depth, addressing fears and concerns of each individual until a clear understanding with the person regarding why HIV testing is important as the entry point to HIV prevention, care support and treatment. The individual is offered HIV testing in the comfort of their homes by trained TCE Field Officers who conduct door to door visits. Each individual is tested for HIV based on their consent. The door to door approach also gives a chance to the individuals to engage their sexual partners so they are tested as couples. The TCE Field Officers are trained in couple counselling as well. It is very important for couples to make informed decisions about their sexual life together. Issues of disclosure among partners are made easier as they are dealt with at household level.
Humana People to People and DAPP Zimbabwe delegates are among the 5000 who exhibited and attended the 18th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa in Harare, Zimbabwe. The seven day conference allowed DAPP Zimbabwe an opportunity to showcase the TCE program to over 1500 delegates who have visited the stand. Delegates who visited the stand were impressed by the One on One People led approach used by TCE to fight HIV/AIDS among communities saying that community ownership is key to fighting the epidemic. Many delegates expressed that TCE is a unique program that has the potential of ending AIDS by 2030. “Your program seems to understand that many rural folk neither have the time nor will to visit health centres which are normally kilometres away from them”, Grace Arziki of Red Cross Nigeria, one of the many stand visitors made the remarks. She added that testing for HIV at home gives individuals the privacy they need as well as allowing for couples to test together in the comfort of their homes.
by dapp | Apr 10, 2018 | Blog, News
DAPP Zimbabwe offically launched a new 3-year project to reduce TB and HIV in the Manicaland province of Zimbabwe. The project which works together with TB Alert will be running in rural Chimanimani and Mutasa districts where rates of diagnosis and treatment for TB and HIV are low.
Using a model developed in-line with the WHO’s ENGAGE-TB approach; which calls for the integration of community-based TB and HIV services; the project aims to turn the tide. Speaking at the official launch DAPP Zimbabwe chairman IB Hansen said the project will make use of the successful TCE model’s door to door outreach model where :
- 40,000 people with recieve rapid HIV test
- 9,000 sputum samples will be collected at the doorstep
Through the project, DAPP Zimbabwe will recruit and train community volunteers to carry out door-to-door visits towards reaching 75,000 households with awareness messages. DAPP will provide TB-HIV training for community leaders as a way of cascading information to the wider community. The project will raise TB-HIV awareness through cultural activities such as street theatre or sporting events.
by dapp | Apr 10, 2018 | Blog, News
Development Aid from People to People handed over foodstuffs worth $10 000 to families affected by floods in Mbire District in Mashonaland Central Province. The food stuffs which included mealie meal, sugar beans and cooking oil were handed over to the most vulnerable groups which included children and the elderly.
Speaking at the handover ceremony guest of honor Mashonaland Central Province resident Minister Cde Martin Dinha said the food assistance comes at a time when families in the district have been suffering from the effects of the floods. He commended DAPP Zimbabwe’s people to people approach saying working together for the betterment of humanity should be a universal agenda.
Speaking at the same occasion DAPP Zimbabwe Country Director Mr Luckson Soda said DAPP has been an all weather friend to the Zimbabwean government and its people adding that disaster response is part of DAPP’s pillars. He added that since 1980 DAPP has concentrated its efforts to equipping communities with the necessary skills to foster development in their own areas and as such will work with the affected people in Mbire to rebuild their community.
Mbire District, Mashonaland Central Province experienced floods in January 2015, resulting in 327 homesteads being destroyed and over 1000 people being displaced .
