ANPPCAN Zimbabwe

What we do

ANPPCAN's Zimbabwe Chapter's areas of operations categorically fall into:

• Advocacy
• Research and documentation

• Capacity Building
• Consultant Trainer
• Referral Point
• Community Empowerment
• Information Center
• Personnel Exchange
• Male involvement
• Child Rights Watchdog

Community Empowerment for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Project in Chiredzi and Marange Districts.

This is a three year (2007 – 2009) project being implemented in 2 districts of Zimbabwe with an intended beneficiary scope of 1000 community members including school teachers, school children and community leaders.

Objectives of the Project

•    To increase public awareness about the problem of child abuse and its specific impact on orphans and other vulnerable children in Marange and Chiredzi districts.
•    To expand support to victims of abuse through provision of legal, medical and psychosocial support to victims of child abuse in Marange and Chiredzi Districts.

Activities implemented

Project activities incluided training seminars on child rights and psychosocial support for teachers and school children. The project had a district level lobby and advocacy component that involved meetings with all relevant stakeholders for discussion on the effectiveness of current child related policies,  laws,  their implementation in Chiredzi and Marange Districts and how to improve this. The project also saw the establishment of 20 Child Rights Support Groups(CRSGs)  in all participating schools which serve as platforms for child participation were children articulate their rights issues and also aid in the identification and assistance of victims of abuse in schools and within the communities of Chiredzi and Marange Districts. These CRSGs are the core of programming as they are pivotal in the provision of psychosocial support, legal and medical support and referrances of abused children to resource systems like the Department of Social Welfare, the Victim Friendly Unit and other NGOs providing other child related services. CRSGs are also trained in using the arts (drama, poetry, song and dance), debate and sport to sensitize people on child rights issues, annual competitions are held on a chosen child protection related theme.

The Access to Birth Registration Project in Umzingwane District

This is a project being implemented in Umzingwane District in Matabeleland South targeting children without birth certificates especially orphans and other vulnerable children (OVCs). The aim of the project is to raise awareness on the importance of birth registration and the need for every child to access birth certificates.

Activities.

Project activities involved training workshops with guardians, teachers and children on child rights and birth registration. Sensitization and awareness  raising also targeted relevant stakeholders and the traditional leadership such as chiefs and village heads on child rights and abuse and the importance of birth registration. To engage the local authorities and foster sustainability of the intervention ANPPCAN Zimbabwe were active participants in the monthly Rural District Development Committee Meetings (RDDC) on child protection issues in the district. As with all our projects 10 Child Rights Support Groups(CRSGs) were established to spearhead awareness on birth registration in their respective schools and communities.

Nutrition Gardens

A 2004 partnership between ANPPCAN Zimbabwe and TreeAfrica has seen the establishmen of nutrition gardens in Jerera and Snake Park (Harare) with teh aim of boosting the immune status of orphans and vulnerable children as well as parents who can not access anti-retro viral drugs. This program was started after we noted that Zimbabwe is one of the countries in Southern Africa greatly affected by HIV/AIDS (the HIV/AIDS seroprevalence is currently going down and is at 18.6%) and that many people have no access to ARV. Children are most vulnerable to lack of access because it depends on the discretion and capacity of their guardians. Consequently,  the organization established nutrition gardens run by participating schools and managed by the community and is looking to engage service providers and the Ministry of Health on universal acces to treatment for all children.

The FK Exchange of Personnel Program

ANPPCAN Zimbabwe Chapter has been privileged to participate in a Personnel Exchange Programme funded by the Norwegian Government’s Foreign Affairs Ministry and implemented through a Volunteer Service (Fredskorpset) to assist developing nations in their efforts to attain lasting improvements of social, economic and political conditions.The ANPPCAN network is one of the partners participating in the Exchange Program. The Exchange programme serves to revitalize Chapters, establish mutual understanding and concerted mobilization.

Chapters under this arrangement swap employees for  one year  and ANPPCAN Zimbabwe Chapter since 2003 when it began participating in the Exchange has hosted many participants. In 2003 we sent to and received from Kenya then exchanged with Uganda in 2004. In 2005 Zimbabwe exchanged with Ethiopia, 2006 saw us exchange with Nigeria and then with Zambia in 2008. The exchange program has benefited the chapter immensely due to sharing of best practices and experiences both from the participants it receives and those it sends. The chapter is proud to have produced participants who have remained and contributed so much to the Chapter the likes of Mr Witness Chikoko, our former Diretor, Mr Aaron Zinyanya, the incumbent Director and Miss Tinotenda Hondo, our Programmes Manager.  

Child Labour

ANPPCAN Zimbabwe Chapter in collaboration with the General Agricultural Plantation Workers’ Union of Zimbabwe (GAPWUZ) an umbrella organization for farm and plantation workers and the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) an umbrella body for teachers in Zimbabwe as a Consortium have formed an organization called Coalition Against Child Labour in Zimbabwe (CACLAZ). In 2007 the three organizations carried out a nationwide research on child labor with the objective being to determine the nature, extent and magnitude of child labor and to mitigate its effects in Zimbabwe.  CACLAZ has a coordinator , Mr Pascal Masocha, who is responsible for the day-to-day running and coordination of activities for the coalition.

Other activities

Resource mobilization

ANPPCAN Zimbabwe Chapter is engage in an on going resource mobilization drive to boost its financial resource base and extend its scope and area of focus for the benefit of many disadvantaged children. Currebtly the organisation has plans to undertake strategic planning, conduct research on the healing process for children abused in various ways and put in place a myriad of innovative new chidl protection programmes. For assistance in this area please contact us. 

Non Governmental Organization Exposition (NGO EXPO)

On a yearly basis Zimbabwean civil society holds an NGO Exposition (NGO Expo) with the  aim to have civil society organisationsshowcase their services and products and interface with the Zimbabwean community and other stakeholders.ANPPCAN Zimbabwe Chapter has always been participating in this event resulting in the creation of new partnerships and widespread publicityMale involvement in child protection

Male involvement

ANPPCAN Zimbabwe has in partnership with African Fathers Initiative taken on male involvement as a key area of focus in tackling child protection issues. The organization is mainstreaming male involvement and gender into its programming, taking men on as equal partners in all child protection interventions and is looking to build the capacity of all its partners, especially at grassroots to do the same as this is crucial for the success and sustainability of programs. Male involvement issues are important for child protection in that most abusers are male and so taking them on board will reduce incidences of child abuse and neglect.

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