Page 15 - GDG Annual Report 2019

AFRICA - continued AFRICA - continued

Cultivating Communities

Recent monitoring trips in August 2018 and January 2019
took Josh Edwards and Daniel Watts to agricultural projects
in Zimbabwe and Zambia. In partnership with Zimbabwe
Development Democracy Trust, project J839N Bulawayo
Community Gardens oversees five self-sustaining community
gardens which are communally owned and managed by
elected committees. Each of the 297 beneficiary families
now have access to water and land for farming along with
specialised training, allowing them to grow nutritious food
for their families, participate in a democratic environment
and take charge of their future. The project has also trained
13 teachers and 60 primary school students in the practice of
permaculture.

Project J945N African Bush Camps Community
Empowerment innovatively uses mobile livestock enclosures
called ‘bomas’ to simultaneously protect livestock from lion
and hyena attacks whilst also fertilising the agricultural land of
seven families, thus increasing crop yields in Dete, Zimbabwe.

500km to the North-East and over the border, Project J936N Seed Their Need Zambia has 5,000 acres of maize under cultivation
by 5,000 farmers. Each farmer pays USD$5 to join the co-op and is provided with seed and fertiliser along with training in seeds,
pesticides and responding to pest attacks. The farmers report that they now have increased income which allows them to send
Project J750N Direct Reach Ethiopia empowers parents to
provide for their children through business training. their children to school, purchase bikes for transport and improve their household diets. The project managers have learned that
requiring a membership fee increases each beneficiary’s ownership and investment into the project.
Training for Success

Project J750N Direct Reach Ethiopia, actively promotes on their own and support their family’s needs. Other outcomes Renewing Hope
beneficiaries towards personal sustainability. The GDG realised through this program include improved social
2017 was an exceptionally tough year for
monitoring team of Josh Edwards, Peta Thomas, David confidence, health improvements and the development of
Agnes. She was widowed whilst pregnant
Robertson and Tessema Bekele witnessed the outcome of this support networks.
with her third child, her land was taken by
during their October 2018 monitoring visit. The team met with her in-laws and she discovered she was
A similar program is being undertaken in Madagascar through
a focus group of beneficiaries who shared that their greatest HIV positive. She lost all hope.
J782N Les Pêcheurs Development Projects. Over 200 families
hope was to be able to stand on their own and allow other
have been assisted to establish and build profitable businesses In September 2018 Agnes joined J936N
more needy people to receive assistance instead of them.
through training and business mentorship. An intentional Seed Their Need Zambia. She paid her
To begin, beneficiaries attend business training and form focus on business skills training and support, as well as USD$5 subscription fee by doing piecework
savings groups where each member commits a small amount grouping intakes according to the capacity of the candidate, and fetching 100 litres of water per day,
each meeting into the group fund. Over time, those who has resulted in improved income. This is due to greater with a newborn on her back.
present sound business plans are able to receive a loan from business performance, on-time loan repayments as well as a Agnes commenced farming and joined the
the group funds, to be repaid over three to six months. The 95% repayment rate. However, the most significant outcome local women’s club. With the surplus from
program has seen a number of families graduate – that is, of this project is the improved quality of life for the business her farming, Agnes bought a bicycle! Her
reaching a point where they are self-sufficient and can stand owner and their families. daughters now attend school and with
next year’s harvest she hopes to expand
her house and buy a mattress.

14 Annual Report 2019 Global Development Group