The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under its ELEVATE project has availed US$3 million to alleviate food insecurity in Makoni, Mutasa and Mutoko districts.
By Kuda Pembere
The project to be implemented by Mercy Corps, a humanitarian organisation will run for a year targeting 27 844 food insecure households.
“ELEVATE focuses on improving the immediate and long-term access and availability of food for vulnerable communities, helping communities cope, adapt, and thrive in the face of shocks and stresses. The project builds on decades of work between USAID and Mercy Corps across many countries to save lives and promote food and nutrition security,” said Mercy Corps in a statement.
The ELEVATE project seeks to capacite smallholder farmers with training as well as agricultural inputs.
ELEVATE’s agriculture interventions will work to strengthen household resilience to future shocks and stressors, including smallholder farmers.
“The project will support farmers in adopting more productive and sustainable growing practices through training and assisting with agricultural inputs and irrigation support,” said Mercy Corps.
“In addition, ELEVATE will provide food assistance during the height of the lean season to the most vulnerable households to help reduce negative coping strategies that undermine food security.”
The ELEVATE project according to Mercy Corps is being implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare‘s Department of Social Development and the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement.
“Mercy Corps is implementing ELEVATE in close collaboration with the Ministry of Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare‘s Department of Social Development and the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement. With USAID’s support Mercy Corps is putting resilience and inclusion at the core of its strategy to contribute to the well-being of Zimbabweans by building their capacity and strengthening households, systems, and local institutions,” said Mercy Corps. “Since Zimbabwe’s independence, the American people, through USAID, have contributed over $4.2 billion in assistance to increase food security, support economic resilience, and improve health outcomes.”
The 2022 ZimVAC Rural Livelihoods Assessment Report indicated slight improvements in the food consumption patterns. On the other hand, it projected a deterioration of food security situation in the country, as measured by access to cereals, from 27 percent in 2021 and 38 percent during the peak hunger period that is from January to March 2023.
