Sustainable Livelihoods Project

Initiative title: Sustainable Livelihoods Project

Reporting period: July 2012-September 2012

Type of report: First Quarter Project Report

Date of submission: 10 October 2012

Executive Summary

Please write a brief summary highlighting the major issues contained in this report. This should not be more than 1 page.

This project is being implemented by Seke Rural HBC to promote sustainable livelihoods for PLHIV, OVC and other vulnerable households in Seke-Manyame rural district. Seke Rural Home Based Care (SRHBC) is a registered Non Governmental Organization (NGO) that operates in Manyame, Wedza and Makoni districts. The organization was founded in 2001 with the mission of enhancing quality of life for those facing chronic and terminal illnesses and grief by surrounding them with love and embracing them with the best in physical, social, emotional and spiritual care.

The organization targets People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLHIV), cancer patients, the terminally and chronically ill, orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC), widows and other vulnerable households. The aforementioned groups are targeted under a Home Based Care model that mainstreams sustainable livelihoods into all its interventions. The sustainable livelihoods project comprising of communal nutrition gardens, rearing of small livestock (under the “Pass on the gift”

project was incorporated to enhance drug adherence. SRHBC works with PLHIV support groups where most of the members take ARVs. It is very difficult to adhere to these antiretroviral therapy drugs without sufficient food. The communal nutrition gardens initiative was brought in as part of a solution to this nutrition challenge.  

During the period under review the following major activities took place.

Monitoring of “Pass on the Gift Project”

Support Group Visits

Construction of a Strong Room

Construction of an Ablution block

Drilling of a Borehole at the organizational premises

Permaculture Training Workshop

Basic Food Processing and Packaging

Programme context

Please indicate any changes that may have happened in the context of the programme during the reporting period and the implications thereof on programme design.

Internal Changes

Impact on the Initiative

Detail changes made to programme design

1. Governance

• The Third Quarter Board meeting was held on the 29th of September. 

The Board members were given an update of the activities carried out during the quarter. A financial report was read and copies were given to all present board members.

The board now sits regularly as expected.

2. Programme

• Monitoring visits were done to the “Pass On the Gift” project. Chickens are being continuously    passed on to identified beneficiaries.    

• Drilling of a Borehole at the organizational premises –Borehole was drilled and fitted with a submissible pump. The borehole has brought life to the organization as a whole in the following:

a) Availability of clean drinking water for staff and clients.

b) Flushing of systems in the toilets/ablution block. This will enhance hygiene as people can wash hands after visiting the toilets.

c) The green house has come to life. Seedlings for income generation are now being produced.

• Construction of a Strong Room-One of the storerooms was converted to a storeroom. The strong room will be used as a safe keeping place for all confidential information of the organization as well as to archive all other files and important asserts of the organization.

• Construction of an ablution block and connecting pipes.-An ablution block is under construction. The block will consist of 2 flash toilets and 1 shower for women and   2 toilets, Urinary and 1 shower for men. The availability of the ablution block will accommodate the large numbers of people attending workshops and various activities and will increase hygiene.

• Report on Stolen Tanks in the communal gardens- 2 by 5 000 litre tanks were noticed missing in Zhakata ward 5 and Tariro support group member’s communal garden during garden monitoring visits in August. The matter was reported to the police and follow up is being done.                             

As a protective measure and for sustainability there are plans to place people who are permanently stationed in the gardens as guards. The guards will be resident in the gardens and will not pay rentals 
but will also have a potion to manage and utilize for their own benefits in the garden.

Training Workshops

• A permaculture Training workshop was facilitated to garden beneficiaries. The workshop comprised of both theory and practicals. Representatives from all the communal garden were trained in basic permaculture. The workshop covered among other topics, various types of bed designs, soil and  water  conservation. A practical session on compost making was facilitated by the Agritex officer with all members participating, where compost was erected in the organizations demonstration garden.

Initially there was an intention to connect pipes to already existing indoor toilet facilities but it was ideal to construct a block of toilets outside which would cater for more people and are more hygienic than the indoor toilet available. Long term plans are that the organization will connect water and sanitation to the office block.

3. Human Resource

The organization is short staffed. However, the availability of development studies students from various national Universities is helping to alleviate the work load and smooth running of organizational activities.

4. Finance

Updates of expenditure on activity budget lines helps the smooth running and implementation of the programme

External Changes

The project is not affected as the economic situation is stable because of the dollarization.

1. Economic

Most gardens at the moment are under land preparation as there is little production taking place. The   beneficiaries can still afford bus fares to Chitungwiza for regular checkups and collection of their   Antiretroviral Drugs from the savings they did from their last sales. Most of the beneficiaries have  engaged themselves in ISALs where they are kept busy in income generation activities. This has  boosted the economic background of the whole community.

2. Politics

The organization is not affected by politics as the current political environment is conducive for the implementation of programmes.

3. Health/`HIV and AIDS

• Support group meetings are taking place.

• Very little gardening activities are taking place and the gardens are being used as platforms for meetings and sharing of experiences by beneficiaries.

• Social workers, nurses and caregivers continue to carry out home visits.

• Home visits to PLWHIV who are members of the garden and beneficiaries of the pass- on the gift project are regularly visited and assisted with counseling and basic home based care kits where the need arises.

• Monitoring of PMTCT clients are ongoing as a measure to prevent the “Lost to follow up” which results from mothers defaulting to bring babies for periodic checkups to their health centre’s.

4. Implementing of the pass -on the gift

Follow up to the 67 second phase beneficiaries that received chickens under the “Pass On the gift” Project. The beneficiaries signed contracts and agreed to pass on to the 3rd phase of beneficiaries. 
Replacements were made by the few initial beneficiaries that had lost their chickens so as to enable the passing on of the chickens. The community is benefiting on nutrition by consuming chicken meat and eggs from the surplus.

5. Maintenance of central Database

Data entry is still ongoing and staff members are now able to generate statistical reports from the data base. However there is still a challenge of data entry as data obtained when the project started still needs to be updated.

Part One: Activity Summary

Please list your project activities as they appear in your working agreement with COGENHA and provide a brief summary of progress made in these areas during the last six months.  Please detail the number of women/girls and men/boys reached through each activity, as appropriate.  If you have not undertaken a particular activity during the period, please indicate why and what steps you will take to address this under the variance analysis column:

Objective 1: ​To increase household food production and nutritional support for 137 households benefiting under the homestead and communal garden schemes in Ngome, Mandedza and Zhakata wards and existing 87 beneficiaries by June 2011.

Planned Activities

Actual Activities conducted

Outcomes / Impact

Men, women, boys and girls.

1. Harvesting and replanting

Most of the beneficiaries in communal gardens harvested their plots and currently beneficiaries are preparing their plots for the rainy season.

The gardens are currently being used as meeting areas for support group members.

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Land preparations are underway and no harvesting is taking place in gardens.

Objective 2: To strengthen nutritional support to 137 households under the communal garden scheme in wards 2, 3 and 5 by June 2011

Planned Activities

Actual Activities conducted 

Variance Analysis (Explain the difference, if any, between planned and actual activities carried out)

Output Indicators (Include Figures: i.e. number of beneficiaries reached)

Outcomes / Impact

Men

Women

Boys

Girls

Planting of Crops in the demonstration garde

Tomatoes have been planted in the green house. Cabbages are covering the rest of the open field.

A green house was constructed in the demo garden

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The demo garden is now supplying affordable seedlings to the garden beneficiaries and the local community.

The green house is now a source of unrestricted funds for the organization through the selling of seedlings

1) Monitoring of all garden activities

Garden monitoring visits have been taking place.

No farming activities are taking place since it is a dry period of the year and water levels are low.

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Seeds have been transplanted from the demo into the in Mandedza ward 2 nutritional garden.

Ngome and Zhakata communal gardens are still under land preparation prior to the oncoming rainy season.

Planned Activities

Actual Activities conducted

Variance Analysis (Explain the difference, if any, between planned and actual activities carried out)

Output Indicators (Include Figures: i.e. number of beneficiaries reached)

Outcomes / Impact

Men

Women

Boys

Girls

Objective 3: To improve income levels of 137 households through enhancing market gardening and markets linkages by 2011

Planned Activities

Actual Activities conducted

Variance Analysis (Explain the difference, if any, between planned and actual activities carried out)

Output Indicators (Include Figures: i.e. number of beneficiaries reached)

Outcomes / Impact

Men

Women

Boys

Girls

Basic permaculture training

A workshop on Basic Permaculture Training was conducted

Refresher courses on market linkages were also conducted

Refresher courses on conservation farming were conducted and it was seen that traditional farming methods are a better climate change adaptation strategy in Seke.

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The training was conducted by an Agritex officer and the participants were taught on the advantages and disadvantages of various types of composts.

Two refresher workshops on conservation farming and market linkages were held.

Demo compost was erected in the demo garden

Objective 4: To reduce the number of OVCs being assisted with school fees by 10%

Planned Activities

Actual Activities conducted

Variance Analysis (Explain the difference, if any, between planned and actual activities carried out)

Output Indicators (Include Figures: i.e. number of beneficiaries reached)

Outcomes / Impact

Men

Women

Boys

Girls

1) Pass- On Gift Poultry

A total of 174 (67 initial beneficiaries and 67 second lot received pass on) granny headed families have benefited from the pass on the gift project.

174

Monitoring visits were conducted to the initial 67 beneficiaries to ascertain the  

Part Two: Lessons Learned – Successes and Challenges

Please choose two or more of the activities listed above that you feel went well and provide more detailed information about them.  Focus on describing why you think the activity went well, examples of the feedback received about the activity from your target group/community members, how you might build on these successes in the future and include any other information that you think might be appropriate. Do the same for the challenges as well.

Activity

Why Was It Successful – What Lessons Have You Learned?

Feedback Received

Future Steps

Construction of a Borehole at the organizational premises.

The borehole is supplying water for staff members and clients that visit the organizational premises. Water has since been connected to various outlets. Soon the organization will have flashing toilet systems that are more hygienic.

The Demonstration garden is now fully operational as it has water supply throughout.

The borehole will enable the watering of  the crops in the demonstration garden.

Seedling production will be increased as the greenhouse now has constant supply of water from the borehole.

Programme Challenges

Challenges / Constraints

​

Impact on Your Project /Organisation

Steps Taken to Limit Impact

Future Steps

The wells dug in the gardens dry up and do not sustain the garden activities throughout the year.

Due to the unavailability of water from September to mid November, production in the gardens was low.

Maximum effort was put towards support group meetings, where the gardens are used as meeting places and a lot of essential topics are shared amongst the members.

Non farming activities are taking being implemented in the communal gardens as it was during the dry season.

Part Three: Technical Support Received

Please tell us about any technical support you have received during the period that has been provided with financial assistance from COGENHA.  Please indicate who provided the support, describe the purpose of the support, how the support was provided (eg did you attend a workshop, one-to-one training, mentoring?), your assessment of whether the support was useful or not, and the new skills that your organisation has acquired as a result.

Technical Support Provider

Purpose of Technical Support

How Was Support Provided?

(Workshop/Mentoring/Training)

Was the Support Useful?

(Why / Why Not?)

Financial Management Workshop For Oxfam Canada Partner Organizations

Improve partners understanding of the link between proposed activities, budgets and reports.

Partner representatives were trained in financial management and how finance relates to programme and vice versa.

The training was essential as it integrated finance and programme staff .Programme staff were also  oriented on accepted accounting practices particularly around cash and risk management

Part Four: Future Technical Support Needs

Does your organization have any specific technical support needs that you would like COGENHA to provide financial assistance for during the next six month period?  If so, please describe them, indicate the name of a Consultant or organisation that you would prefer to receive this support from (if known), how you think this might strengthen the work of your organisation and the estimated cost of this technical support (if known).

Technical Support

Provider

(If Known)

Purpose of Technical Support

Preferred Method

(Workshop/Mentoring/Training)

Estimated Cost

(If Known)

1. Refresher Training on finance for non finance staff

Training

2. Training on seed and seedling nurseries management

Part Five: Linking and Learning

Please tell us about any COGENHA-organized linking and learning activities (eg workshops orexchange visits) that your organisation has been involved in during the past six months.  Please list other organisations that were involved, indicate the purpose of the linking/learning activity, why you found the activity useful or not useful, and what future plans you have made to follow up with the organisation(s) involved.

Type of Linking/Learning Activity & Organizations Involved

Purpose or Theme of Linking/Learning Activity

Was the Linking/Learning Activity Useful?

(Why / Why Not?)

Follow-up Plans

Part Six: Documenting and Sharing

Are there any particular areas of the work you have undertaken, or lessons you have learned over the past six months that you would like to share with other organisations doing similar work?  If so, how would you like to share this information (eg by facilitating a workshop, preparing and distributing a case study or report, presenting a paper at a conference, etc)?  Indicate what, if any, support you would like to receive from COGENHA or another organisation to help you share this information.

Information to be Documented and Shared

Means of Documenting and Sharing

How Can COGENHA or Other Organisations Help?

1) Stories of change

     

Photos are taken and the stories are written

COGENHA has already approved the budget for the collection of the stories of change.

2)Profile of the organization and more stories of change to be told digitally

Digital story telling

Purchase of laptop with the capacity to carry the software suitable for digital story telling

Part Seven: Financial Information

So that we can put COGENHA’s partnership with your organisation into a broader context, please tell us about financial or technical support you have received from other organisations during the past six months.  For funding support, please indicate the amount received, the duration of their support and the activities undertaken with this support (include contributions to administration/overhead costs as well as project activities).  

Name of Financial Supporter/ Donor

Activities Supported

Amount of

Financial Support

Duration of Financial Support

Young people we care-youth HIV/AIDS awareness and participation

17 759

Sept 2011-Dec 2011

Part Eight: Monitoring and Evaluation

a) Monitoring: Indicate outputs under each objective and the indicators used to monitor them. Please comment on how these were done. Identify key monitoring indicators

Objective 1

Outputs

M&E Indicators

Comments

To enhance nutritional support for the        

Existing 187 PLHIV households.

Reduction of opportunistic infections

Reduction in malnutrition cases and improved diet.

Improved drug adherence

Improved quality of life

Drug adherence has improved.

Quality of life of community members has improved due to the availability of disposable income.

Objective 2: To increase food security to the community.

Improved agricultural methods i.e. conservation farming

Food preservation and processing for the off season period

83 members of communal gardens attended a conservation training workshop 

80 beneficiaries from communal and household gardens attended a food processing and packaging workshop.

Objective 3: To improve income levels of 187 PLHIV

Availability of disposable incomes

Increased productive and non productive assets

65 out of the 67 grandmothers receive income from sales of excess chickens received through the “Pass on the gift” project.

Objective 4: To provide psychosocial support to PLHIV and their families

Reduction of emotional ,social and spiritual pain

Reduction of HIV stigma and discrimination

Resilience among the vulnerable groups

3 different support group meetings are held in the communal gardens weekly.

The communal gardens present a platform for the members to meet and share various experiences and knowledge on day to day matters that affect them.

Objective 5: To offer security to organizational property and assets

Elimination of trespassers

Reduction of theft and burglaries

Files kept under secure environment

Materials for fencing the organizational premises have been purchased.

Fencing of the organizational premises is underway.

Objective 6: To provide a viable source of water and sanitation needs

Clean drinking water available

Constant and reliable water supply

Improved Hygiene and sanitation

Reliable water supply now available from the borehole drilled.

Objective 7 : To empower women and man to exercise their socio economic rights that are gender sensitive.

A gender sensitive community

Gender sensitization workshop carried out.

57 members from various support groups within the communal gardens attended and participated during the workshop.

Objective 8: Documentation and sharing of best practices

Replication of best practices

Objective 9: To enhance organizational development

Effective and capacitated staff

Please provide a story from a lived experience of one of your beneficiaries to explain the impact of your service and work in the lives of individuals or communities.

Story of Most Significant Change-

Good Nutrition is a necessity in the life of people living positive. Maideyi  a 40 year old woman had the challenge of losing weight and constantly being affected by various opportunistic infections including diarrhea. Maideyi  tested HIV positive and was commenced on ARVs (Stalanev) in 2007 at Marondera Hospital. In late 2007 Maideyi started working as a house helper in Seke were she was encouraged to join one of the psychosocial support groups. In the support groups she got 
encouragement and information on adherence which helped her to improve her condition.

In 2008 Maideyi remarried, with the help of Seke Rural Home Based Care palliative care nurses she was capacitated with  information on Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission (PMTCT).The 
couple was referred to Kunaka hospital for the programme which she adhered to quite well. In 2008 the couple was blessed with a baby girl who they exclusively breast fed for 4 months then weaned her off to solids. The baby had a DNA PCR test done 3 months after cessation of breast milk and was found to be HIV negative. The mother had her tested again at 18months and she tested negative. The baby is now 3years and very healthy.

Maideyi had another pregnancy in 2011.She delivered twin boys. With the support from SRHBC staff, she went through the PMTCT process again. She breast fed the twins for 6 months exclusively. The children had a DNA PCR test 3 months after cessation of breast milk and they were also found to be HIV negative.

Right now Maideyi and her husband are a healthy couple with three vibrant children. She continues to take her ARVs and practices positive living.

Maideyi credits her successful PMTCT initiative to the support group meetings that they hold every week in the communal gardens. The   support group meetings often have teaching sessions from palliative care nurses and social workers .The social workers also carryout home visits to individuals were counseling and psychosocial support is offered. Since Maideyi is a beneficiary and has a plot in the Tariro Support group communal garden, she has benefited a lot from the programme as she has a variety of nutritional vegetables from the garden. Weaning off her babies was not a challenge as she  got supplements from the garden that were healthy and of nutritional value to her children. Maideyi also affords doctors review and bus fare to Marondera to collect her ARVs from the surplus she gets from sales of her garden produce.  

Nature of Evaluation

Process used (and how beneficiaries/communities were involved)

Role of COGENHA

Major finding from the Evaluation

End of programme Evaluation

Focus Group Discussions and personal interviews.

Site visits

Funded the evaluation

There is need to introduce and train community members on small grains to increase yield and reduce hunger.

There is need to strengthen non agricultural practices during the dry season.

New Funding Opportunities

Have you approached any other organisations for financial support over the past six months?  Yes     No.

If so, please tell us the name of the organisation(s) and how you have approached them (e.g. meeting, developing/submitting a proposal) and what, if any, success you have had.  

Potential funding partner

Approaches used (e.g. Proposal?  Meeting?)

Amount Requested

Expected Outcome

Proposals to seek more funding are under way.

Proposal

-

There are expectations that the children first project will have a second phase focusing on  Orphans’ and vulnerable children

If you have not approached any other organizations in the past six months, please tell us the plans you have to do this in the future.………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………