FRESH – Family Resilience and Empowerment for Sustainable Health

Børn & unge Indkomstskabelse Kvinders rettigheder Landbrug Sundhed Zimbabwe

Family Resilience and Empowerment for Sustainable Health (FRESH)
– et CISU-støttet program i Zimbabwe

(English version below)

FRESH-programmet i Zimbabwe har modtaget en bevilling på 2,23 mio. kroner fra CISU. Programmet løber over 42 måneder og gennemføres af vores mangeårige samarbejdspartner, Nhaka Afrikan Worldview Trust (NAWT), som vi har arbejdet tæt sammen med i mere end 10 år.

Programmet fokuserer på børn, der lider af væksthæmning som følge af fattigdom. Indsatsen skal forbedre ernæringstilstanden, styrke familieøkonomien og øge forældres viden og kompetencer i omsorgen for småbørn. I alt 1.550 familier i distrikterne Bindura og Mutasa indgår i programmet.

Lang forankring og tæt samarbejde

FRESH bygger på et mangeårigt samarbejde og grundige forberedelser. De første idéer blev drøftet allerede i 2019, bl.a. i forbindelse med monitoreringsbesøg under andre projekter. I Mutasa District har kontakten til lokalbefolkningen været kontinuerlig siden 2015, hvor Seniorer uden Grænser indledte et samarbejde med NAWT.

I Bindura District blev relationen til kvindegrupperne – både i byen og i oplandet – etableret gennem en privat donation, som gjorde det muligt at oprette de første sparegrupper. Under besøg i 2024 blev programmets konkrete indhold drøftet med kvindegrupperne i både by og opland, og i Mutasa fik vi mulighed for at lykønske Chief John Mutasa med hans udnævnelse. Han har gennem årene været en central støtte og aktiv deltager i områdets projekter og er en vigtig allieret for både NAWT og det nye program. NAWT har fortsat regelmæssig kontakt til de lokale grupper, vi tidligere har samarbejdet med, og adskillige dialoger om programmets indhold er gennemført.

Programmets hovedaktiviteter

1. Forbedret ernæring gennem dyrkning af næringsrige afgrøder
   Der etableres to kunstvandede fælleshaver til i alt 150 familier – én baseret på kildevand opsamlet i bjergene og én med vandboring og solcelledrevet pumpesystem. Derudover støttes 850 familier i selv at dyrke næringsrige afgrøder for at forbedre ernæringstilstanden blandt især småbørn.
2. Styrket familieøkonomi via sparegrupper (VSLA)
   For at øge familiernes økonomiske modstandskraft oprettes 60 nye VSLA-grupper med i alt 800 kvinder og 100 mænd. Metoden er velkendt og gennemprøvet i begge distrikter, hvor der tidligere er etableret hhv. 10 og 26 grupper, som fortsat fungerer efter projekternes afslutning.
3. Viden og sundhed gennem Care-groups
   Programmet opretter mødregrupper (Care-groups), der undervises i ernæring for børn og mødre, spædbarnspleje, graviditet, seksualundervisning og forebyggelse af vold i hjemmet. Konceptet bygger på en veldokumenteret model anvendt af flere organisationer. Grupperne vil omfatte 400 mødre og 200 piger i den fødedygtige alder.

Der vil være gengangere i alle tre indsatsområder.

Tidsplan

Programmet starter den 1. januar 2026 og slutter 30. juni 2029.

Family Resilience and Empowerment for Sustainable Health (FRESH)
– a CISU-supported programme in Zimbabwe

The FRESH programme in Zimbabwe has received a grant of DKK 2.23 million from CISU. The programme runs for 42 months and is implemented by our long-standing partner, Nhaka Afrikan Worldview Trust (NAWT), with whom we have worked closely for more than 10 years.

The programme focuses on children suffering from stunting as a result of poverty. The intervention aims to improve nutritional status, strengthen household economies, and increase parents’ knowledge and skills in caring for young children. A total of 1,550 families in the districts of Bindura and Mutasa are included in the programme.

Strong local anchoring and close cooperation

FRESH is built on many years of collaboration and thorough preparation. The first ideas were discussed as early as 2019, including during monitoring visits under other projects. In Mutasa District, contact with the local population has been continuous since 2015, when Seniorer uden Grænser began its cooperation with NAWT.

In Bindura District, relationships with women’s groups – both in the town and surrounding rural areas – were established through a private donation that made it possible to set up the first savings groups. During visits in 2024, the concrete content of the programme was discussed with women’s groups in both urban and rural areas, and in Mutasa we had the opportunity to congratulate Chief John Mutasa on his appointment. Over the years, he has been a key supporter and active participant in projects in the area and is an important ally for both NAWT and the new programme. NAWT continues to maintain regular contact with the local groups with whom we have previously collaborated, and numerous dialogues on the programme content have been carried out.

Main programme activities

1. Improved nutrition through the cultivation of nutrient-rich crops
   Two irrigated community gardens will be established for a total of 150 families – one based on spring water collected in the mountains and one using a borehole with a solar-powered pumping system. In addition, 850 families will be supported to grow nutrient-rich crops themselves in order to improve nutritional status, particularly among young children.
2. Strengthened household economies through savings groups (VSLA)
   To increase families’ economic resilience, 60 new VSLA groups will be established, comprising a total of 800 women and 100 men. The method is well known and well tested in both districts, where 10 and 26 groups respectively have previously been established and continue to function after the completion of earlier projects.
3. Knowledge and health through Care Groups
   The programme will establish mothers’ groups (Care Groups) that receive training in nutrition for children and mothers, infant care, pregnancy, sexual education, and the prevention of domestic violence. The concept is based on a well-documented model used by several organisations. The groups will include 400 mothers and 200 girls of reproductive age.

There will be overlap among participants across all three areas of intervention.

Timeline

The programme starts on 1 January 2026 and ends on 30 June 2029.