Here are the best stories and blog posts from 2019. Enjoy!

I am an empowered woman, just differently able! 

The  UNDP Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Capacity Building (ZIM – ECO) project, with support from the EU and the Government of Japan, developed, designed and implemented a nationwide voter registration and voter inspection  campaign to mobilise citizens, particularly Persons Living with Disabilities (PWDs) to participate in the different electoral processes. Samantha a passionate advocate, helped mobilise 30 000 PWDs to register for the 2018 electoral process.  

Read her story here

Cleaning up Harare one suburb at a time 

Transportation of waste is one of the biggest challenges in refuse collection. This issue is being tackled by Cliff and Ronnie, founders of the Zimbabwe Sunshine group, which is collecting refuse in Harare with their fuel efficient three wheeler motorcycles. 

Read their story here 

Biodiversity: Why does it matter to Zimbabwe? 

According to the United Nations IPBES 2019 Global Assesment report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem services, we are eroding nature faster than it can replensih itself and plant and animal species extinction is accelerating. 

Find out why biodiviersty matters to Zimbabwe in this blog post 

Let it flow: Adapting the Nyanyadzi Irrigation Scheme to Climate Change 

Investment in the climate proofing of agricultural systems such as the Nyanyadzi Irrigation Scheme is essential in effective disaster risk reduction. UNDP, Oxfam and its partners worked with the community of Nyanyadzi to rehabilitate the scheme to better withstand the effects of heavy rainfall and siltation. In 2019 , the scheme was hit by Cyclone Idai, however unlike in 2000 when Cyclone Eline hit, the scheme suffered minimal damage due to the silt traps which had been built.

Read the full story here 

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Addresing Ineqaulities in Parliament - Senator Rejoice Timire 

According to the Ministry of Health, about 7% (over 900, 00 individuals) of the Zimbabwean population are Persons Living with Disabilities (PWDs). Despite being a significant portion of the population, PWDs did not have representation in Parliament until 2013, when a constitutional provision mandated that two seats be reserved for one male and one female senator representing PWDs in Parliament.

Meet Senator Rejoice Timire, one of the elected officials, representing PWDs in Zimbabwe’s 9th Parliament.

Read her story here 

Dried and Delicious: Earning an income from dried vegetables in Gokwe 

Find out how UNDP and the UNV program are working with communities in Gokwe to leverage local resources for sustainable income generation. 

Read their story here 

Rebuilding stronger on renewed hope

Earth tremors, strong winds and heavy rains brought by Cyclone Idai destroyed community and household infrastructure such as roads, bridges, dip tanks, irrigation infrastructure and livestock pens, adversely affecting livelihoods.

How are communites rebuilding stornger for renewed hope in cyclone affected areas?

Read their story here

Busy Bees - The Chapanduka Honey Processing Association

Buhera is prone to droughts and shifting rainfall patterns which are impacting  agriculture and livelihoods in the region. Bee-keeping has become one of the main income sources for community memebrs. In 2016, with support from the Oxfam-UNDP/GEF Scaling up Rural Livelihoods project implented by SAFIRE, community members built a modern honey processing facility in Chapanduka, Buhera. 

Read the full story here 

Improving Treatment for TB patients 

In November 2018, UNDP Zimbabwe partnered with Ministry of Health and Child Care, and the Biomedical Research and Training Institute to  understand the relationship between tobacco and alcohol intake and TB treatment outcomes.

Read five early lessons from the alcohol and smoking behaviour interventions with TB care study.

The Informal journey to experimentation 

The Zimbabwe Accelerator Lab was launched in November as part of the UNDP Global Accelerator Lab Learning Network inititiative. The aim of launching the lab is to tackle frontier challenges in development that the world is facing in the 21st century such as climate change, migration, artificial intellignce and the informal economy. 

Read a snapshot of their first experiment

Empowering communities by building urban resilience 

In Zimbabwe, cities are changing fast, and this has increased their vulnerability to shocks and stressors such as extreme rainfall, droughts and climate shocks which have led to flooding and natural disasters. UNDP , UNICEF and the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing  partnered together for the “Partnership for Building Urban Resilience in Zimbabwe” project.

Find out more about the pilot year of the urban resilience project here

Tackling the Climate Challenge 

Climate change is the defining issue for our generation and generations to come — and its impacts are already being felt in Zimbabwe. Rainfall is becoming more unpredictable, temperatures are rising and the country is experiencing more extreme weather.

What has Zimbabwe been doing to tackle the climate challenge?

Read the blog post here