Courses

Zimbabwe, Chipinge

Project Title: Cholera Mitigation through Community Health Clubs

Objective: Community Capacity and Resilience Building to WASH related diseases

The project  covered 3 districts: 15 rural wards of Chimanimani, Chipinge and in 8 urban wards of  Chikanga and Dangamvura suburbs in  Mutare. In 3 months of working with the all stakeholders, i.e. RDCs, Government departments in particular Environmental Health Technicians (EHTs) and the communities, the project is now yielding good  results.

In April 2013, a total of 235 Community Based Facilitators were trained to roll out the programme in their respective villages and suburbs. 4 project Officers were deployed in the Districts to give backstopping support and monitor progress.  Progress is evident in the project wards especially in the rural areas. 334 Community Health Clubs have been established in 317 in rural areas. By June, club membership was 15,202 with the majority (93%) being female members 14,006.

  • Country: Zimbabwe
  • Period: October 2012 – September, 2013
  • Donor: USAID direct funding
  • Partner: Zimbabwe AHEAD
  • Province: Manicaland
  • District: Chipinge
  • 10 Wards:16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26,27, 29 & 30
  • Number of Villages: 146
  • Number of households: 10,605

 

  • Number of CHCs: 220
  • Number of Members: 10,605
  • Percentage CHC coverage district: 30%
  • Number of EHTs: 6
  • Number of CHC facilitators: 146
  • Number of beneficiaries: 44,571
  • Cost of Project: US$30,000
  • Cost per beneficiary: US$5.2

HIGH LEVELS OF HYGIENE   BEHAVIOUR CHANGE

In 2008, Zim AHEAD partnered with  Mercy Corps to establish CHCs in Chipinge District resulting in 54 CHCs and 3,190 graduated CHC members, making an estimated 19,140 beneficiaries. Once again it was gratifying to see that the magic formula for triggering hygiene behaviour change was effective. The uptake of recommended prtactices was montiroed by the community based facilitators using a Household Inventory to observe hygiene facilities in every one of the CHC homes .

These spot observations showed that before the start of health promotion sessions there was an average of only 35.6 % adherence to practices shown in the table (above), and after one year this had increased by 43.7% to 79.5% uptake of recommended practices.

References

2010 Annual Report 

2010 Annual Report

Food Agriculture and Nutrition Clubs (FAN) Management Training

After the first year the CHC who have completed their hygiene training progress to the next stage. They become FAN clubs with members who have completing all 20 sessions invited to join a communal nutrition garden. Fencing material is provided and the member clear the ground.  Garden committees are  trained in their roles and responsibilities  to harmonise the activities of the two committees with an umbrella committee being established at ward level. A monitoring and reporting system is introduced. This is part of the exit strategy to capacitate the community which will enable FAN clubs to sustain the projects as the project comes to an end, and ensure long term food security.

Agritex has been engaged to ensure the environmental suitability of the garden sites, pegging of beds, fencing and planting.

The project target of  30 gardens was reached and six extra gardens voluntarily started without any project support indicating that this approach is catching on and providing an inspiration of other outside the project area.