Martin Muleya
MUTARE RURAL-In the parched lands of Nyamadzawo, ward 16, Mutare Rural district, the harsh realities of drought have left many families struggling to put food on the table.
However, a glimmer of hope has emerged in the form of the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) funded emergency assistance for drought-affected households project. Implemented by a consortium led by Care Zimbabwe in partnership with Nutrition Action Zimbabwe and Padare Men Forum, the project is providing vital support to families in dire need.
One such family is that of Patricia Tsaura (52) who has been shouldering the burden of caring for her ailing husband and their six unemployed children who are all married as well as two grandchildren. The drought has exacerbated their struggles, leaving them with limited access to food, water and other essentials.
“I live in ward 16 with my family and husband Taurai Mushipe who was diagnosed with cancer and diabetes. We are 14 and am the breadwinner. I have a son who once attempted artisanal mining but it didn’t yield positive results. I have a daughter in law and my daughter who is staying at home. I have six biological children and all are school drop outs due to lack of fees. Before the ECHO project came into being we relied on doing menial jobs to get sugar, soap or mealie-meal,” explained Tsaura.
The project provides a lifeline of support including food and other essential items, enabling families to meet their basic needs and rebuild their resilience. The impact of the project is evident in Tsaura’s story.
“This assistance has been a blessing to our family. We were struggling to make ends meet but now we have some hope. The food has helped us feed my family,” she added.
Shingirai Saruchera, the team leader for Care Zimbabwe highlighted that the commodities they were distributing is in line with Government’s food deficit and mitigation strategy. The project started in January 2025, ending in July 2027 although the food distribution piece is ending in April this year and the target is reaching out to 11 900 beneficiaries.
“We also have three other commodities which comprised the nutrition piece that is animal protein. We are using the voucher system where we are riding on the already existing register from the Department of Social Welfare and the district’s drought relief committee and then produce printed out vouchers for each household.
“What you are seeing here where people gather first is a process where we do messaging in terms of protection that is led by Padare. In times of crisis there is rising cases of gender based violence and it impacts negatively mostly on women. That is the protection piece we do through Padare and we also strengthen the referral systems in alignment with the existing structures depending with the case. In terms of nutrition, since this assistance is a gender-responsive nutrition and protection assistance basically we are saving lives. We are cognizant of the nutrition requirements hence we focus on enhancement of malnutrition. We strengthen this through capacity building using existing structures and provide logistical support in terms of movement of ready-to use therapeutic food and micro nutrient powders to enhance treatment of severe acute malnutrition cases that would have been identified from active screening.
“We use malnutrition as an entry point, the thinking being someone who is malnourished is food deficiency so we would want that person to be a beneficiary. The target for actual beneficiaries in Mutare is 11 900,” explained Saruchera.
The ECHO project is not only providing immediate relief but also working to build the long term resilience of drought-affected communities. By supporting vulnerable households, the project is helping to break the cycle of poverty and hunger, enabling families to rebuild their lives and secure a brighter future.
As the food distribution comes to an end, families in ward 16 are beginning to experience a sense of relief and hope. For Tsaura and her family, the support has been a lifeline, enabling them to care for their loved ones and work towards a more stable future. The ECHO funded project is a testament to the power of humanitarian efforts in making a tangible difference in the lives of those who need it most.
