THE United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has expressed its commitment to supporting sustainable livelihoods among vulnerable communities in Zimbabwe.
Speaking during a tour of the Takunda community business unit (CBU) in ward 3, Mutare Rural, UNDP country representative Ayodele Odusola said they intended to engage the government on an expansion plan.
“We have already expanded similar projects in one or two communities that performed exceptionally well — originally intended to be a certain size, we doubled them,” he said.
“Our intention now is to discuss with the government to help to expand this initiative, because UNDP’s role is to demonstrate proof of concept — to show that something can work.”
“We will continue to engage the Ministry of Agriculture to collaborate on expansion and if the opportunity arises, we will explore how we can support them, particularly in improving garden productivity.”
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Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution secretary Abiot Maronge praised UNDP for its dedication to upscaling sustainable livelihoods.
“What is exciting is that UNDP is partnering the government on a programme initiated by the government itself,” he said.
“This differs from what we often see with other development partners, who typically come with pre-packaged initiatives that may not align with our local priorities.
“We have seen UNDP come on board by providing funding and expertise to establish village business units, which are currently a vital initiative for transforming rural livelihoods and enhancing food security.”
The CBUs are being implemented by UNDP Zimbabwe as the lead development partner, in collaboration with the government of Zimbabwe.