By Kuda Pembere
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has handed over 19 vehicles to its partners to enable them to do their work in reaching out to vulnerable populations as well as the youth.
The handing over of these vehicles is part of its five year program cycle where they get vehicles for partners and hand them over at the end of the program.
At the end of that country program cycle, we actually hand over the equipment that has been purchased during the course of the country program.
“The equipment that we are going to be actually donating to the government entities and other partners this morning is actually from the sixth country program and seventh country program of cooperation,” said UNFPA representative to Zimbabwe Ms. Miranda Tabifor.
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Deputy Minister Advocate Mercy Dinha said the vehicles will come in handy for their programs which require mobility.
“On behalf of the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, I would like to thank UNFPA for the good gesture, for the vehicles that they are donating today, not only to my ministry but to other partners as well.
“They are donating to Musasa, they are donating to ZNFPC, to City Of Harare, to Zimstat, because the donations will contribute in achieving Vision 2030 as a country and also towards a prosperous and upper middle income society.
“So on behalf of the government, on behalf of the Ministry of Public Service, we would like to thank you for the donation and the vehicles will be handy as we provide social protection to vulnerable groups and also the vehicles will also go a long way in fighting drug and substance abuse,” she said. “As you know that nowadays our children, even little children, our women, even men are indulging in drug and substance abuse and for us to contain that we have to be mobile. So we really want to appreciate you and to thank you for the donation.”
Zimbabwe Statistics Agency (ZimStat) ZimStat acting director-general Mrs Matiwonesa Phiri commended UNFPA for assisting them in coming up with timely statistics on sexual, reproductive health issues.
“You are assisting us as an agency to contribute to the development of our country towards production of statistics because this is the main role that we exist for as an agency, all national development programs are well supplied with timely and reliable statistics. And among these statistics are sexual and reproductive health statistics, which I also understand that is one of your key goals to ensure that there is accessibility in terms of quality sexual and health reproductive health service,” she said.
Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) acting executive executive director Mr Farai Machinga lauded UNFPA for the donation noting this will help them achieve their mandate to ensure no one and no place is left behind.
“I would like to thank UNFPA for their gesture in providing us with vehicles which as the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council we are going to use them to ensure that we reach out to the marginalized and also hard to reach areas.
“Remember we are there to serve the communities and we are with today’s mantra where we have to ensure that we leave no one behind, no place behind. We have to ensure that everyone receives quality integrated services in terms of family planning, sexual and reproductive health,” he said.
Msasa Executive Director Ms Vimbainashe Mutendereki noted the donation comes on the heels of their partnership with UNFPA to establish safe shelters for survivors of gender based violence.
“I think like our colleagues have said before, we have a long-standing partnership with UNFPA over 10 years. And for us, we really appreciate again another donation which allows us to ensure survivors of Gender based violence (GBV) are able to access quality care.
“If we are to look at some of the milestones in terms of our partnership with UNFPA we think of especially the setting up of shelters in hard to reach areas. And we can’t overstate the importance of those kind of services that we get support from UNFPA for.
“So really to appreciate the partnership, the collaboration, which we know is continuing beyond this country program. And we know that UNFPA is committed to support the quality services for survivors of gender-based violence,” she said.
SAYWHAT Head of Programs Mrs Dorcas Chikorova thanked UNFPA for enabling them to reach out as many youths they can.
“So for us, this is not just a vehicle, let me stress this out, this is not just a vehicle but a symbol of the strong partnership that has been in existence between SayWhat and UNFPA. And for us from UNFPA, it’s actually a commitment that they are showing and a shared dedication to generations of empowered, healthy, and strong young people who are responsible across Zimbabwe.
“So I also want to take this opportunity to just share with us that I think we all know the challenges that we have been facing regarding our transportation system, which has also even affected our reach as an organization, because we are all aware that the tertiary institutions that UNFPA is supporting is across the nation.
“So for us moving from one place to another was actually also a challenge to some extent. So today actually marks a transformative moment for us. It’s actually a turning point in our journey as an organization. And with this addition of this project vehicle, part of our challenge is going to be solved. And it’s also an opportunity for us to expand our reach and maximize our impact in as far as the lives of young people are concerned in Zimbabwe,” she said.
World Vision Program Coordinator Ms Rudo Tinarwo also said the donation will help them improve access to GBV services.
“I think with World Vision and UNFK we’ve had a long-standing partnership from I think as back as 2010 or just before and we continue to working together reaching to our young people in terms of SRH and protection with our young women and girls and this donation is not new but we continue to appreciate as we also receive the vehicles and is going to ensure continued support to reach out to our young girls in terms of our adolescence and sexual reproductive health services, as well as reaching out and improving access of GBV services to our women and girls. So we really do appreciate the gesture from the UNFPA,” she said.
