Environmental research

The proposed project is a follow up to the First Phase that was supported through GEFSGP funding which was completed in August 2012. The new project s target population consists of 248 farmers (168 females and 80 males) spread over seven traditional villages. 16 of the 168 targeted women are widows and 14 are girl OVC heading households. Of the 80 males targeted 5 are OVC headed households. Through the follow up project LDS seeks to scale up the following components; Conservation farming through promotion of small grains, groundnuts and cow peas as well as the construction of a community garden in Makuwerere village. Planting of indigenous trees at household level and rehabilitation of existing woodlots Construction of wood saving stoves in outstanding household from the 1st Phase pahse to achieve 100% uptake of the intervention as well as in the new 7 villages participating in the 2nd Phase. Land rehabilitation through gully reclamation and erection of silt traps Knowledge management through Climate Change awareness campaigns in local schools and production of a DVD and t-shirts Ward 24 (Makuwerere) falls on the south eastern tip of Mberengwa and borders with Mwenezi district. Agro-ecologically the ward falls under region five characterized by erratic rainfall and perennial droughts which have exacerbated food shortages at household level. Over the years the communities have increasingly become more vulnerable due to the occurrence of floods and mid -season droughts, loss of ecosystems, unpredictable weather patterns and shifts in seasons as well as disease outbreaks for both humans and livestock. All these have contributed to constricting and compromising community livelihoods as amply manifested by worsening food insecurity, deteriorating water supplies, proliferation of diseases leading to loss of human and livestock lives. The project seeks to address food insecurity and deforestation in ward 24 as these contribute enormously to the community s vulnerability

Zimbabwe