Online Reporter
Ivan Zhakata recently in Gokwe
In the heart of Gokwe North District, where the El Niño-induced drought once tightened its grip, a remarkable story of recovery and resilience has unfolded.
What was once a land marked by empty granaries, hungry children and silent suffering has become a beacon of hope following a lifesaving humanitarian intervention that has transformed the lives of over 24 800 individuals.
Since November 2024, the people of Gokwe North have been supported by a powerful emergency relief initiative led by CARE Zimbabwe in partnership with Nutrition Action Zimbabwe (NAZ) and Padare.
Funded by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), the project has not only addressed the food crisis head-on but has also improved community nutrition and safeguarded vulnerable groups from gender-based violence.
For Ms Violet Maphosa, a widowed grandmother raising seven grandchildren in Ward 5, the impact has been life-changing.
“I thought hunger would finish us. I was watching my grandchildren waste away, and I had nothing to give them. Now, they eat every day. They laugh again. We survived and we are living again,” she said.
The transformation began with the systematic provision of food assistance to households devastated by the drought.
Under a voucher system, families received essential food items, among them mealie meal, cooking oil, pulses, kapenta, sugar and salt to improve household food security, allowing parents and caregivers to plan meals with dignity.
“Before this help came, we were relying on wild roots and handouts,” said Mr Trust Tshelela, chairperson of the Katamba Distribution Point. “Now, people can feed their children and restore some stability in their lives.”
But the project reached beyond food relief. It tackled a silent crisis: acute malnutrition in children under five, exacerbated by food shortages and poor access to health services.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Child Care, NAZ strengthened nutrition surveillance by training healthcare workers in the Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) and equipping Village Health Workers (VHWs) to conduct screenings and education.
“Through MUAC screening and nutrition counselling during community food distributions, we have saved many children from slipping into severe malnutrition,” said Gokwe North district nutritionist in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Ms Jane Mapingire.
“The outreach teams reached even the most remote households. That alone changed the health landscape of Gokwe North.”
For mothers like Mrs Shupikai Komba, the efforts were lifesaving. “My daughter was weak and thin,” Mrs Komba said.
“The health workers found us during a distribution and screened her. She got treatment and special food.
“Today, she is strong and growing well. I learned how to prepare better meals using the food we get and what we grow around us.”
Nutrition education became a cornerstone of the intervention. Through community cooking demonstrations and mobile messaging campaigns, nearly 2 000 caregivers learned to diversify diets using local resources.
Households began prioritising children and pregnant or lactating women in their food plans, contributing to improved nutritional outcomes.
NAZ executive director Mr Tapiwa Magaisa said the strategy was empowerment through knowledge.
“We did not just give food; we helped communities understand nutrition, value their local foods, and take ownership of their health,” he said.
Crucially, the initiative also addressed one of the most painful but often overlooked effects of crisis: Gender-Based Violence.
In the face of economic desperation, cases of child marriage, domestic abuse and sexual exploitation surged. CARE Zimbabwe and Padare integrated protection services into the relief work — ensuring women and girls could access safe spaces, counselling, and support.
Padare programmes officer Mr Trust Mauyakufa said they used the transformative nature of the approach for the initiative.
“We have helped communities see that protection is not secondary; it is essential,” he said. “We embedded messages on gender equality, respect, and safety into every activity, from food distribution to roadshows.”
Dedicated counselling tents set up at distribution points offered trauma-informed care to survivors of violence.
Many young women, some as young as 15, were rescued from forced early marriages and received psychosocial support.
“I was told I had to marry a man much older than me because we had no food,” said one survivor, Miss Yollander Mashingire.
“Thanks to the counsellors, I was able to escape that fate. Now I am back with my grandmother, going to school and dreaming of a future.”
To ensure sustainability, 158 Gender Accountability Focal Persons were trained and stationed in every ward. They now serve as local champions for gender justice, connecting survivors with referral pathways and community resources.
“These community cadres are the legacy of this intervention,” said Mr Mauyakufa.
“They will continue to protect, educate, and support their neighbours long after the project ends.”
Strong partnerships with institutions like the Victim Friendly Unit (VFU), Msasa Project, and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs further strengthened the protection pillar, offering survivors shelter, legal support, and social reintegration.
Local leaders like Ward 5 councillor Cde Levi Ncube hailed the project as a turning point.
“We were losing hope. But this project brought more than aid —it brought unity, resilience, and strength. People believe again. They are planting gardens, raising chickens, and sending girls to school.”
Even children are part of the recovery story.
At a community nutrition outreach, a young boy named Brian smiled shyly as he clutched a package of fortified porridge.
“I like the porridge,” he said. “I want to be strong so I can play soccer again.”
As Gokwe North gradually recovers from the worst drought in recent memory, the community stands not as victims of climate change, but as a symbol of resilience.
The final word belonged to Ms Maphosa, who stood proudly by a small vegetable garden beside her home.
“We have been through darkness. But now, there is light. My grandchildren eat, they go to school, and I no longer cry at night. Gokwe North is rising again.”
Poor maternal nutrition can lead to low birth weight and lifelong health complications.
During infancy and early childhood, under-nutrition results in stunted growth, impaired brain development, and increased vulnerability to diseases.
In adolescence, poor nutrition can delay puberty and reduce physical and cognitive potential. In adulthood, it contributes to reduced productivity and chronic conditions such as diabetes and osteoporosis.
Zimbabwe has introduced several policies and programmes to combat the crisis, including the Food and Nutrition Security Policy, the School Feeding Programme, Food Fortification, and Iron-Folate Supplementation for pregnant women.
The situation in Zimbabwe reflects a broader global concern. According to the 2023 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report, 733 million people worldwide faced hunger last year, with one in five people in Africa affected.
If current trends persist, 582 million people are expected to be chronically undernourished by 2030, half of them in Africa.
