Vusumuzi Dube
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
MORE than 50 local organisations working to improve the lives of children in Zimbabwe will benefit from capacity strengthening and knowledge sharing under a Business Development Hub, Akwande-Tuvule launched by Save the Children this Tuesday morning.
Akwande-Tuvule Business Development Hub is a name derived from the indigenous languages meaning “let there be growth” and is a platform for knowledge exchange and synergy.
The child rights organisation said they are seeking to strengthen the capacity of local and national actors to better support children.
Local organisations will receive training and support in areas such as fundraising, proposal development, and donor contract management.
Mr Bhekimpilo Khanye, Save the Children Country Director in Zimbabwe said local synergies via the development hub will enable better outcomes for children in the country.
“We recognise the incredible potential of local organisations and individuals to drive positive change for children and that is why we seek to be an organisation that is fit for the future by being “Locally led and Globally Connected”. If local, and national actors and communities are better engaged in the planning and delivery of development and humanitarian programmes it will result in better results for all children in Zimbabwe.”
Added Mr Khanye;
“We have thus re-invented our approach to collaborating with local partners, fostering co-creation of solutions, and increasing their access to transformative funding. We know that communities and local actors are and always have been at the forefront of sustainable development and humanitarian programming,”.
Save the Children said these tools will help local and national organisations to compete for grants and develop innovative solutions to address the most pressing issues facing children, including climate-induced emergencies such as droughts and diseases, affecting children’s rights to education, survival, and protection.
The organisation mentioned that thousands of children are facing severe food shortages and in need of urgent humanitarian support as there is a looming drought.
The launch of the new business development hub is also in line with Save the Children’s journey towards localisation, aiming to shift power to local and national actors, communities, and children to realise the need for children-centred programmes.
Save the Children has already kick-started the localisation drive in Zimbabwe by collaborating directly with local partners to address the urgent humanitarian needs of children and communities.
Through its Humanitarian Fund, the organisation has allocated resources to the Zimbabwe Council of Churches to respond to the urgent Cholera outbreak by conducting awareness sessions on sanitation and hygiene practices in schools and communities, training health workers and supporting community-led clean-up campaigns. They are also providing water treatment tablets to households and supplying cholera treatment centres with necessary equipment and fluids.
More resources have been allocated to Kulima Mbobumi Training Centre (KMTC), a local partner in Binga district, to implement El Niño anticipatory actions with a specific focus on fortifying community and school disaster risk reduction strategies, supporting school feeding initiatives, and rehabilitating water sources to ensure the provision of clean and safe water.
“Save the Children values the indispensable role played by grassroots organisations in their communities. They are often the first responders during crises and have a deep understanding of the unique challenges children face, Save the Children said, adding that by shifting power to local and national actors, it aims to amplify their impact and create a lasting change for children,” they said.
@NyembeziMu
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu