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Zimbabwe – project country profile.
Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, and formerly Republic of Rhodesia, is a landlocked country in the southern part of the continent of Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers.
Capital: Harare
Population: 12,236,805
Life expectancy: 40 years (male), 38 years (female)
Population below national poverty line: 80% (2004 est.)
GDP: $25.05 billion
GDP per capita: $2,000
Religion: Syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and other 1%
Languages: English (official), Shona, Sindebele (the language of the Ndebele, sometimes called Ndebele), numerous but minor tribal dialects
Climate: tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March)
Land issues in Zimbabwe re-emerged as a contentious vital issue in 1999. Despite majority-rule, the white population of Zimbabwe made up less than 1% of the population but held 70% of the country's commercially viable arable land. The Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe began to redistribute the land, often by force to the black population in 2000. The forced seizure of almost all white-owned commercial farms led to sharp falls in production and precipitated the collapse of the agriculture-based economy. The country has endured rampant inflation and critical food and fuel shortages.
Zimbabwe is currently suffering an economic and food crisis, described by some as the country's worst humanitarian crisis since in years. This has been attributed in different measures to a drought affecting the entire region, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and the government's price controls and land reforms.
Bóthar in Zimbabwe:
Bóthar began working in Zimbabwe in 2002. Bóthar provides families in Zimbabwe with Guinea fowl, dairy cows, dairy goats, chickens, rabbits and A.I. support.
ZIMBABWE project profile:
Mwenezi HIV and AIDS Project
Location: Mwenezi district of the Masvingo province
Number of families: 295
Animals: 160 Heifers, 10 bulls, 5 goats/ a family, 5 chickens+ 4 guinea fowls / a family, 4 rabbits / a family
Other inputs: agriculture equipment + supplies
Training: in gender, HIV, peer education, farming
Brief synopsis: the project will deliberately target HIV and 1992 drought victims or their families through small scale livestock provision
Pass-on obligations: 885 families
Expected benefits: 20% of the children affected by HIV/AIDS in the project communities will improve their socio-economic livelihoods through education by 2006; to forge a collaborative HIV-related institution in 3 communities by 2007; to increase the participation (by 50%) of men and youth in the dissemination of HIV information and profit-generating activities in three communities by 2007
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