Environmental policy and administrative management

1.0 PROBLEM: OVC in Chidazembe community have been struggling to survive, especially having lost their parents to the HIV and AIDS pandemic. Their lives have been characterized by various socio-economic deprivations which include lack of parental care, inadequate food, lack of clothing, deteriorating housings standards, reduced chances of attending school, loss of production assets, ill health, stigma, abuse and exploitation. In the struggle for survival the OVC, and the community at large have engaged in stream bank cultivation and the former has been engaged as labour in pine plantations. This has led to massive siltation and destruction of water sources like the wetlands that are a common feature across the communities. The ever-increasing number of OVC in the community has also put considerable pressure on the environment to regenerate itself, and this has resulted in some wetlands drying up and disappearing. Thus what lies at the scope of this project is to mitigate the effect of the effects of the HIV and AIDS pandemic , which is the state of orphan hood which has brought with it desperate surviving strategies at the detriment of the natural environment. 2.0 PROJECT GOAL: The project is set to contribute to improvement in the income levels of OVC households in Chidazembe community. This will lead to the overall improvement in their social welfare and security in the face of the growing effects of the HIV and AIDS pandemic first of which is the state of orphanhood and vulnerability that they find themselves in. The idea is to understand the environmental implications of farming activities and be able to employ measures that do not degrade it in communities attempts to survive. There is going to be an increase in knowledge and application levels on organic farming, combating land degradation with communities being mobilised to establish composts in their gardens and ploughing down grain stalks after harvest, as well as the adoption of the Musha concept as a sustainable resource utilisation mechanism at community and household level. 3.0:PROJECT OBJECTIVES: 1. To strengthen the OVC and community initiatives in sustainable agriculture in Chidazembe by 2015 2. To increase the knowledge of communities in Chidazembe on conservation farming by 2015 3. To strengthen the Musha system among OVC households in Chidazembe community by 2015 4.0:PROJECT ACTIVITIES 1.1Establishing of low input organic demonstration nutritional gardens.1.2.Established fish ponds 1.3. Embarking on bee keeping 1.4. Embarking on rabbit keeping 2.1. Training on the principles of conservation farming 2.2.Combating stream bank erosion 3.1. Promotion of indigenous poultry production 3.2. Trainings on the Musha system 3.3. Conducting exchange learning tours on the Musha system 3.4.Promotion of seed rotation 5.0 PROJECT RESULTS -Increase in the use of organic matter in nutritional gardens -Increase in the making of composts in gardens -Increased income from the sale of vegetables -Increased consumption of vegetables within OVC households -Increased knowledge on water preservation -Increased income for OVC from the sale of fish -Increase in the number of bee hives -Increased income for OVC from the sale of honey -Increased consumption of vegetable by rabbits -Increase in income from the sale of rabbits -People trained in conservation farming -Increased number of people applying conservation farming techniques -Increase in the number of contours constructed to combat stream bank erosion -Increase in the number of community members applying stream bank erosion prevention technology -Increase in the production of organic waste for gardens -Increase in income for OVC households from the sale of poultry products -Fully functioning Musha households -Increase in the number of musha households in the area -Increase in the number of people retaining seed for use the next season

Zimbabwe