Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund
Project Period: 1Jul16-31 Mar21
The overall objective of the MELANA is to contribute to increased capacities of communities to protect development gains and achieve improved well-being outcomes in the face of shocks and stresses. This is achieved through improving the absorptive, adaptive and transformative capacities of at-risk communities. The specific objectives of the programme are to:
- Capacitate institutions in resilience planning and implementation.
- Support communities to increase agricultural production and diversify livelihood options.
- Support commercially oriented farmers to increase income levels and
- Strengthen community social safety nets.
The project targets Nkayi, Bubi, Umguza and Umzingwane districts in Matabeleland where absorptive, adaptive and transformative capacities of communities are weak, leaving them vulnerable to shocks and stresses including drought, dry spells, animal diseases, crop pests, fire outbreaks, wildlife conflict, HIV/AIDS and diarrhea. In these districts’ drought is the most severe physical hazard.
APT is part of a consortium led by Welthungerhilfe. The programme is currently in an extension phase.
The role of APT within this consortium is to develop inclusive and pro-poor market systems in these four districts where livestock is the main agricultural livelihood for smallholders. By June 2019 MELANA had registered 14 929 beneficiary households. APT results included:
- 14 market actors (and their models) identified and facilitated, providing output markets and services to productive farmers. Since June 2019 another five market actors are providing services to smallholders.
- 3 315 farmers engaging with open and closed markets introduced by APT including farmers at 3 irrigation schemes producing chilli for export and 217 dryland farmers producing flower seed for export.
- Seven national market actors providing farmers with input and output markets; and 5 Local Market Actors providing services
- Thirteen irrigation schemes profiled using the Irrigations Systems Inventory (ISI) tools; and three capacitated to diversify income streams to become more resilient to stresses and shocks.
- 5 ISALS capacitated/transitioned to become MSMEs, operating business models
- 1 commodity association representing 11 feedlots providing services to Nkayi cattle farmers.
| Company | Value chain/Service market | Geographic location |
| Amalubarina | Flower Seed | Nkayi |
| Buntu Foods | Small grains | Umguza |
| IETC | Sesame | Bubi, Nkayi, Umguza, Umzingwane |
| Kacholo | Chilli | Bubi, Umzingwane |
| Kencor | Last mile input distribution | Umguza, Umzingwane |
| MC Meats | Cattle | Bubi, Nkayi |
| Sondelani | Fresh produce | Bubi, Umzingwane |