Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Mat South Bureau
ABOUT 193 000 people from three districts in the country are set to benefit from the Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund Phase 2 (ZRBF 2) Reclaim Project, which seeks to strengthen climate resilience and ensure sustainable livelihoods among vulnerable rural communities.
Speaking on Wednesday during a ZRBF 2 Matabeleland South sensitisation and inception meeting in Gwanda, Care International Zimbabwe head of the Southern Region sub office, Mr Clayton Mafuratidze, who is also the team leader of the (Resilience, Ecosystem Conservation, Livelihood Advancement and Integrated Management) Reclaim project said the project is a follow up to the ZRBF 1 project to harness its gains.
The overall goal of Reclaim is to establish strengthened resilience of vulnerable rural communities by ensuring sustainable natural resource management for climate action, improved food and nutrition security and reduced impact of natural disasters in at-risk communities.
The project has five pillars namely natural resources and human and wildlife coexistence management, food systems, nutrition and water supply, enhance livelihoods, disaster risk reduction and anticipatory action and gender and youth inclusion.
The ZRBF 2 Reclaim project is being implemented in Beitbridge, Mwenezi and Chiredzi Districts.
ZRBF 1 was implemented from 2015 to 2022 while ZRBF 2, which was launched last year will be implemented up to 2028.
The purpose of ZRBF 2 is to build resilience of vulnerable rural communities by ensuring sustainable natural resources management for climate action, improved food and nutrition security and lower the impact of natural disasters in high risk communities in Zimbabwe.
The ZRBF 2 project is being implemented and co-ordinated by Government and UNDP with FAO acting as a technical partner on agriculture and natural resources management, working with other partners.
The US$17,24 million initiative was launched in March 2025.
“The ZRBF 2 Reclaim project is building upon the ZFBF 1 project, which was implemented between 2015 and 2022. This project is following the landscape approach, which means that the project will connect Chiredzi, Mwenezi and Beitbridge it terms of natural resources management,” said Mr Mafuratidze.
“The project has five components the first being natural resources management and human and wildlife conflict. Under this component, we will engage communities in terms of how they can manage their natural resources in terms of land planning and land use.”
He said under human and wildlife conflict, the target is to ensure that people learn to co-exist with wildlife so as to enhance tourism activities. Mr Mafuratidze said in Beitbridge, communities have been trained in integrated land use planning and, natural resource management committees have been revived.
He said another pillar is food systems and nutrition where under phase 1 of the ZRBF programme nutrition gardens were established in communities and under Phase 2, the gardens will be upgraded into Village Business Units (VBUs) in line with Government’s agriculture development thrust of establishing a VBU in each village.
“Under the food systems and nutrition pillar, we want communities to be able to produce and generate income in order to sustain livelihoods. We will support the communities so that they have access to water for multi-purpose use such as livestock, crop production, establishment of fish ponds, as well as water for domestic use,” he said.
“We have done upgrades in terms of water supply issues and put up more reliable solar pumping systems for five sites in Beitbridge so far. We have also established some fish ponds in Beitbridge.”
Mr Mafuratidze said under the climate smart agriculture, focus is on introduction of modern infrastructure in agricultural activities, as well as application of conservation farming principles.
He said another pillar is focusing on gender and youth issues where programming seeks to incorporate gender and inclusivity. Mr Mafuratidze said youth will also be supported with vocational training, which will be conducted by institutions in villages
He said a consortium of four partners will be responsible for implementing the project namely Care International Zimbabwe, Cooperazione e Svilupppo (CESVI), Mwenezi Development Training Centre and Gonarezhou Conservation Trust.
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