Bulawayo Economic Empowerment

Close to 99 percent of rural church members in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, are engaged in agriculture. It serves as a livelihood, a food security strategy, and a source of income generation. Zimbabwe has faced macro-economic decline coupled with consecutive droughts that have resulted in food insecurity, limited livelihood options, and social vulnerability, especially in rural communities. This has weakened Natisa Presbyterian Church (NPC) households (and those in communities targeted by NPC) even if they have access to knowledge and land, such that they have a reduced ability to engage in productive agriculture and cope with changes in circumstances and increased risk.

This project seeks to implement strategic actions that will address these challenges by venturing into small livestock production, specifically goats and chickens. Beneficiaries have been selected, trained, and given required inputs. Each beneficiary returns either animals or monies collected to the project in order to sustain and multiply the project for other beneficiaries. Initial profits will be shared between project participants and the project.

Project costs include the purchase of goats, broiler chickens and layer chickens, transport, food and vaccines for the livestock, and training for those working in the program.