Each year, the 24th of March marks World Tuberculosis Day. TB continues to be a global health threat despite progress, and multiple challenges make it difficult to end TB by 2030.
TB is more than a health issue; it is a developmental issue, and children suffer the most in the face of TB. Finding undetected TB cases is key in the fight against TB; when people come together, they can prevent TB from spreading further within communities and reduce its global burden.
The emerging drug-resistant strains of TB, rising co-infection, climate change, malnutrition, stigma and discrimination threaten to reverse the gains made over the years. Ending TB requires an inclusive, sustainable and effective response by including TB-affected communities to be heard, supported, and participate towards achieving the Global End TB 2030 Strategy.
“For the first time in the history of tuberculosis, we have treatment regimens that are just 6 months long – for both so-called “regular” TB and drug-resistant TB. Just imagine – we can confirm a diagnosis of TB and drug resistance within hours and start treatment at once. A few years ago, we probably wouldn’t have thought this possible”, says- Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
Over the past 15 years, Humana People to People members have carried out TB projects impacting over 18.5 million people. We have built community-based networks of passionate local volunteers who are at the centre of bringing TB services to the people at the community level. We have given emotional and nutritional support to people taking daily TB medication and given them funds to meet transport costs related to accessing services. We have worked with health facilities and staff to provide health services. We are proud of our impact across diverse communities, countries and continents.
Development Aid from People to People in Zimbabwe (DAPP), one of the Humana People to People Movement members, prioritises sustainable community TB response through the Total Control of TB Makoni project. The project is aligned with Zimbabwe’s National TB Strategic Plan (2021-2025) to reduce TB incidence and attain the UNAIDS HIV 95-95-95 targets.
The project reduces the burden of HIV and, AIDS, and TB by addressing stigma and discrimination through raising awareness and improving diagnosis and treatment services in 59 health facilities. Communities, together with the project, take the lead in reducing new infections, increasing case finding and testing, and providing appropriate packages of treatment, care and support to HIV and TB-infected people in the community.
The project supports people affected by TB by forming TRIOs for treatment adherence. Each TRIO consists of a person suffering from TB and two supporters who provide daily encouragement and assistance, significantly improving the likelihood of treatment completion. The project prioritises nutrition by supporting TB-affected families in establishing nutrition gardens and training them on local climate adaptation strategies and savings clubs to strengthen their income.
The project provided a GeneXpert machine and X-ray cartridges to the Makoni district hospital to improve TB diagnosis. In the past seven years, the project has reached more than 100,000 people with HIV and TB messages, tested 10,240 presumptive cases, and diagnosed 412 people with TB.
We recognise the unified global efforts to end TB, and there is hope for a future where TB will no longer be a public health threat. It takes sustained political will to continue funding TB programmes, strengthening health systems and community engagement to work towards achieving the goal of ending TB and saving millions of lives by 2030.
Humana People to People, together with its members, is committed to ending TB by carrying out sustainable community TB programmes in TB-affected communities. At the centre of our TB programmes are our people to people approaches, which have proven that when people come together and take a stand to face challenges collectively, they can overcome and thrive, leaving no one behind.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day on the 8th of March, the world is facing a gender inequality crisis. The trend put the hard-won gains at risk, despite substantive progress made towards achieving gender equality.
According to the United Nations Development 2024 report, 80% of food production in developing countries is done by women, however, less than 1 in 5 smallholder farmers owning land are women [UNDP 2024].
This year’s theme, “For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment”, calls for inclusive conversation to confront gender equality challenges and pave the way forward to deliver permanent acceleration towards equal opportunities and rights for women and girls.
It is impossible to achieve sustainable development when women’s potential remains constrained by inequality and discrimination. Increasing access to education, healthcare, economic opportunities, and decision-making power gives women the bargaining power to practice their agency and thrive in society. Women’s contributions are essential to creating a sustainable future for everyone, thus, investing in women and girls remains the best investment.
Since 1980, DAPP Zimbabwe has collaborated with the government to foster a more equitable society, promoting women’s and girls’ access to education, economic empowerment, safe working environments, and civic participation.
One success story of the Tamuka Internal Savings and Lending group from Ward 16, Sikero Village, Musiiwa in Shamva! Which started in 2022. This group of 18 members contributes $10 monthly, pooling their resources to save. They also lend each other the money at a 20% interest rate, repayable within an agreed-upon timeframe. At the end of the 2024, the group combines their savings and accrued interest to purchase essential items such as agricultural inputs, food items and educational materials worth USD $4,320. These items are then shared equally among the members.
DAPP’s initiatives have a broad reach, spanning multiple projects. In our agricultural projects, women are empowered through active participation in farming and Internal Savings and Lending Schemes (ISALS), acquiring new skills that enhance their household income and decision-making power. Through collaboration with the Ministry of Women Affairs, DAPP addresses persistent disparities affecting women, youth and persons with disabilities, striving to improve their socio-economic status.
Furthermore, DAPP’s vocational skills training programs at Ponsai Vanhu Technical College (PVTC) offers young women, including adolescent girls and persons with disabilities, a pathway to education and economic independence, enabling them to build sustainable livelihoods for themselves and their families.
Harare, Zimbabwe – In a major recognition, DAPP Zimbabwe was awarded the Distinguished Community Development Champion award at the 5th Zimbabwe TrailBlazers Community Awards for its outstanding contribution to community development in Zimbabwe.
The awards were held on the 31st of January 2025 at Rainbow Towers Hotel running under the theme: ‘Leaving a legacy of Excellence in our Communities’.
The prestigious award recognizes DAPP Zimbabwe’s community development work across the country in 2024. The Zimbabwe TrailBlazers Community Awards celebrate excellence, consistency and innovation in the local community development sector. “DAPP Zimbabwe’s award is a testament to its tireless efforts in promoting community development, improving the lives of vulnerable populations and contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” said ZCTA Awards Board members Chairman Dr Nigel Chanakira.
“We are honored and grateful for this recognition,” said DAPP Country Director Lucskon Soda “This award is a tribute to the collective efforts of our staff, volunteers, partners and the communities we serve. We remain committed to making a positive difference in the lives of Zimbabweans.”
With over 44 years of experience in Zimbabwe, DAPP Zimbabwe has implemented quality community-led projects in education, agriculture, health and community development. In 2024 alone, the organization impacted the lives of over 380,000 individuals through its targeted social development programs.
From providing health education and action to working with families to become food secure and educating children and young people, the organization’s people-centred approach has delivered positive outcomes and fostered long-lasting partnerships with local partners, government authorities and other key stakeholders.
“We are proud to be part of the Humana People to People Federation, a global organization united by a single purpose: to improve life for people and communities in some of the most difficult regions of the world,” said DAPP Chairman Charles Mutizira.
As DAPP Zimbabwe looks to the future, it remains committed to its mission of implementing quality community-led projects to empower people with knowledge, skills and tools to improve their lives. This prestigious award serves as a powerful reminder of the impact of our work, fueling our passion to continue pushing forward and transforming the lives of those we serve.
In attendance from DAPP Zimbabwe were DAPP Chairman Charles Mutizira, Country Director Luckson Soda, Programmes Director Ruth Makumbe, Deputy Programmes Director Chipo Zuze, Communciations Officer Alma Kamungere and representing the Humana People to People International Headquarters was Communication Officer Elton Chinowaita, Stanley Kudzibatira Senior Programmes Officer, and Federation Officer Stewart Suweta.
“I am a 55-year-old farmer who used to rely heavily on subsistence farming until I faced challenges due to a growing family, climate change and increasing expenses for my children like school fees and food requirements. My perspective then changed after receiving training on entrepreneurship and financial literacy from DAPP Farmers’ Clubs Chivi with funding support from GAIA USA. With an initial capital of $96, I started a broiler production business in January 2024, purchasing 25 chickens and the requisite feed. Thanks to the knowledge and skills obtained from DAPP including feed management and vaccinations, I only lost 1 chick. This low mortality accompanied with marketing training ensured a very profitable project.
After six weeks, I sold my broilers for $7 each, earning a total of $168. Subtracting expenses of $96, my profit was $72. Encouraged by this success, I invested in second batch of similar numbers before expanding the size of the project on the third batch to 50 broilers. Now the project is generating a turnover of $300 and a profit of $110 after expenses for each batch.
I also improved my marketing strategies, taking advantage of organized open market sales days in Chivi and surrounding areas, including Masvingo and Ngundu. I also practice mobile marketing where I sell my broilers door-to-door in my village and nearby communities using a wheelbarrow. My monthly income has increased by 400% up from $30 per month allowing me to support my family, invest in my children’s education and expand my business. Through broiler production, my life and income sources have transformed completely”.
The 26th International Youth Day spotlights the significant progress youths are making in the communities they come from and challenges they continue face to bring about the change they desire resulting from social exclusion.
Commemorating International Youth Day on the 12th of August 2024, we highlight the need to harness the potential youths wield to accelerate the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. The use of digital technology to achieve sustainable development presents numerous progressive opportunities yet it remains untapped especially in sub-Saharan Africa where access to electricity and internet remains a challenge.
There’s need for social cohesion, young people need to come together, debate real life issues hindering their communities to progress and find solutions. We call on world leaders to invest for impact towards youths needed to create sustainable solutions for some of the world’s most pressing big challenges of our time.
As Humana People to People, we believe in starting with people to create the hope they need to believe that they can make a difference to transform their lives. We support young people to have confidence and believe in their potential, influence and skills to contribute positively not only to their own future, but also to younger generations and those around them in their communities. In our 16 Technical and Vocational Education (TVET) colleges we train and support young people to take a lead in carrying out youth-led green initiatives in their local communities to combat climate change and create employment sustainably. Youth are a key force to reckon with in peacebuilding efforts, therefore we engage young people in our education, health, sustainable agriculture and environment as well as community development programmes to take charge of creating peaceful environments, thus making a significant impact towards the health and well-being of a truly functional society.
DAPP Zimbabwe’s long-standing history in training and supporting youths is visible through Ponesai Vanhu Technical College where more than 7,000 youths have graduated from the school since 1981. The project is centred on equipping youth with relevant vocational skills and knowledge as well as life skills for them to become productive youths, that are able to secure employment or become self-reliant by starting up small scale businesses. The school ensures that competent skills provided are demand driven not only on the job market but in creating sustainable development as well. Through business skills, students are encouraged to start their own small-scale businesses and create jobs for others. The school prioritizes equal training opportunities for both genders thereby reducing the chances of women being left behind from emerging TVET opportunities.
We recognize the potential youth have and the exclusion as well own development barriers they face. It’s not too late to engage youths, it only requires the international community to share synergies with influential forces that makes it possible to create enabling environments for inclusive and meaningful youth participation where their voices can be heard to follow their interests, with the support of adult mentors. We continue to strengthen youth agency that enables youths to contribute positively to their surrounding communities thus paving a way forward towards achieving sustainable development.
A new project aimed at building the resilience of communities in Chimanimani District, Zimbabwe, to climate change has been launched. The Building adaptive capacity of vulnerable communities to climate change in Chimanimani District project, implemented by Development Aid from People to People Zimbabwe (DAPPZ) in partnership with Civil Society in Development (CISU) through UFF-Humana, will target 1,000 smallholder farmers and their families in wards 13 and 21 in Chimanimani District.
The project seeks to promote climate-smart agriculture, agroforestry, and biodiversity, as well as strengthen the transformative capacities of the community and local authorities to adapt to climate change. It will also enhance market linkages for smallholder farmers and promote evidence-based advocacy and cross-learning among stakeholders.
Chimanimani District is one of the areas most vulnerable to the devastating impacts of climate change in Zimbabwe. The district has experienced a surge in climate-related disasters, including Cyclones Idai and Freddy, floods, and droughts, which have inflicted severe damage to infrastructure, agricultural livelihoods, and human settlements.
The project is expected to contribute to strengthening the partners’ efforts to build adaptive capacity to climate change among the local population, strengthen their resilience to climate shocks, and enhance the community’s advocacy abilities.
“We are committed to supporting vulnerable communities in Zimbabwe to adapt to the impacts of climate change,” said DAPP Zimbabwe Programs Director Ruth Makumbe. “This project is a testament to our partnership with CISU through UFF Humana and our shared commitment to creating a positive impact in the lives of smallholder farmers and their families”.
The project is funded by Civil Society in Development (CISU) and is expected to run for 24 months.
