Projects & Programs
Faith gender and human rights response to Covid-19 (Project ended)
ZCA’s priority target was to raise awareness on Covid-19 in all its constituency as fast as possible. This was carried out using online social media Covid-19 awareness and prevention information. ZCA utilized digital fliers that were written in four languages (Shona, Ndebele, Shona, Kalanga, and Venda). These were distributed in 50 Whatsapp groups. 16 Local Peace Committee Group (25 members per group), 20 ZCA Hub Structures (40 members), 15 Local Advocacy Action Committees (20 each) 10 Psychosocial Support Groups (10 members).
A total of 70 digital copies of a daily covid-19 awareness was shared on social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and twitter.
The ZCA pastors led Covid-19 awareness messages that were shared in their respective communities through audio messages that were read out from Megaphones around their communities. The communities received information on Covid-19 awareness and prevention. The Pastors targeted areas such as central business districts, bus stops, terminuses, and other shopping districts.
Covid-19 Response Project
The Church community was recognized as a critical player role in curbing the rising curve of the Covid19 cases and most importantly help offer psychosocial support to the communities. The following interventions were conducted to raise awareness and offer support to communities.
Empowering rural women and youths for sustainable peace project -
This project seeks to mobilise, activate and capacitate women and youths to respond to conflict situations and become drivers of peace and promoters of community cohesion. ZCA will train local youth and women peace champions who will become part of the local peace eco system and continue strengthening the already existing local peace committees.
This will set a foundation for sustainable peace if there is facility for their social protection and enabling their participation in their local peace and development process.
Churches Converging on Conflict and Peace Project
The project seeks to support local level engagements that are geared towards enhancing greater cohesion and reducing polarisation at the community level. It will also strengthen the capacity of local peace structures to respond to emerging conflicts through dialogue facilitation as well as strengthen the church to promote and build peace. The project will also promote interlinkages between the church, the community and security sector at the provincial level for improved dialogue.
Accountability and Community Participation Project (ACPP)
The project sought to capacitate communities to demand accountability, service delivery from their local authority, through capacitation on Human Rights (Chapter 4 of the Zimbabwean Constitution) the nexus between constitutionalism and demand for service delivery was bridged.
The project timeframe is November 2018 to June 2021.
Each of the 5-project area had 30 participants (10 women, 10 youths, 10 pastors) trained on advocacy and thus incorporated into the local advocacy structure aptly named Local Advocacy champions (LACs). The fundamental task of the LAC is to carry out local level advocacy initiatives and demand service delivery from the local Authority. Year 2 of the project focused on service delivery engagements below is a summation of key results.
Communities for Peace
The CFP project focused on assisting communities in Lupane, Masvingo, Plumtree and Matopo in their healing journeys. The project focused on documenting the testimonies of the survivors and providing trauma counselling. ZCA contracted specialised counsellors to provide the PSS services.
Support to Quarantine and Isolation Centres project
The project offers support to the Covid-19 taskforce in
ZCA conducted a needs assessment of the above-mentioned quarantine and isolation centres.
-Bulawayo (Elangeni QC, Ekusileni, Thorngroove and City Council)
-Midalnds (Senga QC, Dadadaya QC),
-Mat North (Victoria Falls QC Encore Hotel, Inyathi QC, John Tallach)
-Mat South (Gwanda DDF QC, Guyu
-Plumtree Reception Centre QC, Esikhoveni QC, Matopo High, Mtshabezi High).
-Midalnds (Senga QC, Dadadaya QC),
-Mat North (Victoria Falls QC Encore Hotel, Inyathi QC, John Tallach)
-Mat South (Gwanda DDF QC, Guyu
-Plumtree Reception Centre QC, Esikhoveni QC, Matopo High, Mtshabezi High).
ZCA conducted a needs assessment of the above-mentioned quarantine and isolation centres.
2020 key milestones include:
-Venturing into humanitarian work (food aid, livelihoods and supporting quarantine and isolation centres).
-Coordinating bishops engagements with min of state and Bulawayo local authority influencing the opening of Ekusileni hospital.
-Launch of the Christian Voice for English, Ndebele and Shona
-Launch of the Christian Voice for English, Ndebele and Shona
-Improved capacity of ZCA hubs to carry out social accountability initiatives as well as peacebuilding interventions.
-Increased participation of ZCA hubs in social accountability processes and peace building initiatives.
-Increased participation of ZCA hubs in social accountability processes and peace building initiatives.
2020 key milestones include:
-Improved relations between ZCA hubs and duty bearers regarding governance issues.
-Capacitation of ZCA peacebuilding officers in psychosocial support work and trainings.
-ZCA recognised as a key stakeholder in providing essential services (PSS) AND SUPPORT to communities and stakeholders during the Covid-19 pandemic.
-ZCA recognised as a key stakeholder in providing essential services (PSS) AND SUPPORT to communities and stakeholders during the Covid-19 pandemic.
-Government recognising the work of ZCA (Secretary for Information Nick Mangwana commented on the radio programme in Masvingo on ZCA covid-19 related work). District Development Coordinators in most operational areas recognise ZCA as a critical stakeholder in developmental issues. In some areas facilitation of Memorandum of Understanding are underway.
-Despite Covid-19 pandemic ZCA remained relevant and quickly adapted to the new normal. Programming was done virtually through utilisation of mainstream media like radio as well as online platforms (Zoom, Microsoft Teams) and social media (WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook).
-ZCA reached to more people through the above-mentioned platforms.