Project Summary
The project aims to increase community resilience to climate change, self sufficiency in food, water and income through agro-ecological models in dairy enterprises and ecosystems management (Annex 1), dry land small grain enterprise (Annex 2) and small livestock production. It will be implemented in Faquar 1 village by Vambai Green Enterprises Cooperative in Shurugwi District and assist a total population of 182 people from 42 households. Key challenges to be addressed include climate change induced droughts, poor access to clean water sources, crop failure, food insecurity, crop pests and animal diseases that have stagnated the economic growth of agro-enterprises in the areas. Overgrazing and monoculture existing in rangelands and dry land farms respectively has resulted in both poor ecosystems management and degradation of the agro-ecosystems, therefore threatening community food sovereignty .

Community participation, building local extension services, ecosystems management and community based Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCOs) will be key sustainability strategies for the success of the dairy enterprise, indigenous Boschveld Chickens and small grains production and marketing. All these planned interventions and approaches feed into the success of ZIMASSET?s Food security and nutrition cluster, focusing on crop production and marketing outcome and production of drought resistant high yielding and heat tolerant crop varieties and animal species. The project also support the food security and nutrition cluster through the proposed livestock drought mitigation programs. There is also a strong focus on ZIMASSET?s infrastructure and utilities cluster through the development of water supply and sanitation infrastructure for rural communities. The Value addition and beneficiation cluster is also supported by the project through the proposed agro-processing and the implementation of Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs) for value chain financing mechanisms. Sustainable Development Goals Especially No poverty (1), Zero hunger (2), Clean water and sanitation (6), Climate action (13) and life on land (15) will be furthered through various interlinked project interventions and these help local communities make significant progress in sustainable development. The project also feeds into the Zimbabwe Resilience Building Strategy?s adaptive, absorptive and transformative capacities of communities in the face of external shocks. The Agricultural Mechanization and Irrigation Policy?s resilience and infrastructure areas will be supported to enable communities achieve resilience through implementing key principles of agro-ecology including polycultures.


1.2 Organizational Background and Capacity to implement the project
Vambai Green Enterprise Cooperative is a village based group of farmers in Faquar 1 of Chitora ward 1 in Shurugwi under Tongogara RDC that existed since 1996 and are still active producers of fresh produce with an active social fund in form of ?savings and burial society?. The cooperative serves a total of 182 (97 females and 85 males) individuals from 42 households. The village cooperative is experienced in group work and coordination of organic horticulture production, fish farming, beekeeping and conservation of wetlands. Over the past 3 years, the cooperative made their name through the UNDP-GEFSGP project implementation with technical assistance from LID Agency (former Shurugwi Partners), a local private voluntary organization. The main purpose of the cooperative is sustainable conservation of natural resources and creating sustainable linkages of farm produce to markets.

Currently, the cooperative is working in wetlands conservation, organic farming and other related agro- enterprises. The group has remained intact, without any loss of members due to conflicts and poor governance. The affairs of the cooperative are governed by a constitution endorsed by local authority and government extension services, making it a legal and binding framework that supports good governance within the group. Their group regulations are supportive to their growth strategy, vision and meeting individual members? needs. Through working as one unit, the cooperative?s members are currently certified organic producers. They have maintained a sound track record in the production and marketing of fresh organic produce in the Midlands province, with the help from their affiliation to Shurugwi Organic Farmers Association (SOFA).

The cooperative?s working approach in delivering the project include participatory and holistic approach that promotes social inclusion of marginalized groups like women, children and youth and community based planning that promotes management, empowerment and ownership of the project by local communities. CBA, women and youth empowerment)

1.3 Project Objectives and Expected Results
? Problem statement or challenge the project intends to address
Water availability for individual households to sustain profitable micro-enterprises and agriculture continues to be a challenge for most households due to increasing impacts of climate change and variability. Productive water in this community is the major driver of economic and social well being. The community is currently relying on an overstretched community borehole developed by UNDP-GEFSGP and its partner LID Agency. The project?s productive water component focuses on providing piped water scheme for all the 42 households forming Vambai Green Enterprises Cooperative. This project promotes a paradigm shift for the community from reliance on unimproved drinking water sources to improved piped water into vulnerable households using renewable energy options. The project will drill deep borehole and install 200 cubic metres storage tanks and promote households self funded piped water schemes to unlock social and economic potentials for enterprises hindered by poor access to water. This will benefit all the 42 households that will use the water for domestic and economic activities, making the water productive in the sense that it supports health and income generating projects

Despite the existence of vast virgin grazing lands, the current poor ecosystems management as a result of lack of holistic approach to crop and livestock integration, poor drought mitigation strategies has resulted to over grazing, vulnerability to animal diseases (ZIMVAC 2017 records show that animal diseases and droughts claim 62% and 29% respectively) and the related low income from livestock enterprises. According to ZIMVAC (2017), 47 percent of the households in the province do not have cattle, with only 18 percent owning 1 or 2 cattle, which present difficulties in communities fighting poverty and hunger. This will be addressed through the dairy, chickens, crop, renewable energy enterprises and markets interactions model (Annex 1). In order to address the degradation of ecosystems, the cooperative will grow fodder for feeding dairy cows and beef cattle. Conservation of natural forests and pasture land will be mapped together with crop fields for the implementation of agro-ecology. Intercropping, polycultures and conservation farming will help to improve crop productivity.


Poor harvest due to droughts and related pests and diseases increased household?s vulnerability to hunger and poverty. The ZIMVAC 2017 reports indicated that 96 percent of the rural farmers in Midlands grow maize which is vulnerable to droughts, shunning the small grains (grown by 12 percent of farmers) that are drought tolerant. The average 2017 cereal production levels remained as low as 522.9 KG per household; which is insufficient to feed even a small household unit. The project will promote small grain production and implement an innovative Drought Mitigation Silos / Community Grain Banks to improve food, income and nutritional security through diversification of cereals produced by a household. Intercrops including cowpeas, ground nuts, pumpkins and water melons will improve the nutrition of the community. The enterprises presented in Annexes 1 and 2 are income generating business models that promotes rural households resilience.

The use of renewable biogas energy as the heating and lighting source for the milk collection centre will improve waste management, contain methane emission from cattle pens and improve efficiency of the project in eliminating over reliance on the forests for wood.

? Overall project goal/primary objective
Increase community resilience to climate change, self sufficiency in food, water and income through agro-ecological models in dairy enterprises and ecosystems management (Annex 1), dry land small grain enterprise (Annex 2) and small livestock production.

? Specific objectives
a) Productive water from piped solar powered borehole scheme reduces drought impacts for 42 households and support women?s agro based micro enterprises (household fish ponds, gardening, and citrus orchards) to improve natural resources based livelihoods within the first 8 months of the project.
b) Support dairy enterprises through provision of 5 in-calf dairy heifers to the cooperative, construct a solar and biogas powered milk collection center to help grow the dairy social enterprises and improve ecosystems management through crop-livestock integration model (Annex 1) within the project?s first 12 months.
c) Increase diversity and profitability of resilient livestock enterprises for 55 women villagers through drought resistant indigenous Boschveld chickens production and marketing of poultry product within the first 18 months of the project.
d) Support dry-land small grain (finger millet and sorghum) production, formation of drought mitigation silos/community grain banks and marketing of preserved seed and processed products for increasing food, income and availability of small grain seed on the market (Annex 2).

1.4 Rationale/justification of the project
The project?s approaches and components are planned to help farmers address pressing droughts, climate change, crop pests and animal diseases challenges faced by the community. Shurugwi district has experienced a very low return in livestock enterprises between 2015 and 2016, since the district was one of the foot and mouth diseases red zone. About 62 percent and 29 percent of the livestock deaths recorded by ZIMVAC 2017 report are due to diseases and droughts respectively over the same period. The project therefore supports agro ecology where by prevention of crop pests and animal diseases make a huge contribution to resiliency and sustainable livelihoods.

The project aligns with both UNDP-GEFSGP?s OP6 Country strategy and the ZIMASSET. The proposed working approach that places focus on large scale dry lands and household yard provides a link and scope for supporting landscape approach in reducing drought induced crop failure and hunger. The development of household piped water scheme and primary processing infrastructure stimulates economic growth strategies and support social services and food security pillars of the ZIMASSET. The project aligns well with the ongoing UNDP?s Zimbabwe Resilience Building Strategy being implemented in other districts, hence provides room for peer learning, perfection and sustainability.

The proposed dairy enterprise model improves household food and nutritional security, whilst supporting the revival of national dairy industry that is currently facing milk shortages. The development of Milk Collection Centre and related extension services creates opportunity for rural farmers to benefit from feeding into the supply chain of the industry. The conducive wetlands and well managed and improved pastures provide a good environment for growth of the dairy sector by the cooperative. The ecosystems management components improve pastures, reduce over grazing and related biodiversity loss whilst supporting climate smart livestock production. The project will build on the community?s indigenous dairy practices and offer relevant extension and inputs for farmers to meet the quality and demands within the enterprise.

Small grain production in dry lands will focus on finger millet and sorghum to improve household food and income security. The enterprise presented as a model in Annex 2 provides a multi-layers growth and resiliency strategy and opportunities for drought prone communities. The first layer focuses on production, processing and marketing of the small grain produce; whilst the second layer promotes production and preservation of seed to help grow the small grain seed supply chain. The third layer of the small grain enterprise model focuses on production and storage of a certain proportion of produce in drought mitigation silos / community grain banks, thus helping farmers planning, building and managing emergency food serves at community level. The project intends to establish a processing centre for the small grains. This gives the agro-ecological farmers decision making capacity in building community resiliency against poverty and hunger.



Table 1: Objectives, activities, outputs and outcomes
OBJECTIVE 1: Productive water from piped solar powered borehole scheme reduces drought impacts for 42 households and support women?s agro based micro enterprises (household fish ponds, gardening, and citrus orchards) to improve natural resources based livelihoods within the first 8 months of the project.
Outputs Activities Outcome
Output 1: 42 household connected to solar powered piped water scheme.

Indicators for planned actions:
? Number of households connected to piped water scheme
? Volume of water replenished to the village per year (cubic meters)

Baseline:
? Zero households connected to piped water scheme
? 10,980 cubic meters of water replenished to the village per year
Target:
? 42 households connected to piped water scheme
? 32,940 cubic meters of water replenished to the village per year. - Drilling of borehole
- Solar powered pumping installation
- Construction of 200 cubic meters capacity tank
- Installation of discharge water master meter
- Plumping works for households (pipes from community contribution) Access to water and agro-based enterprises increase women`s livelihoods opportunities
Output 2: Increased proportion of women with agro-based micro enterprises (fish ponds, gardening and orchards)

Indicators for planned actions:
? Number of households in domestic fish farming
? Number of linkages created for fish farming
? Number of women with backyard gardening
? Number of trees planted in household orchards

Baseline:
? Zero households in domestic fish farming
? 1 linkage existing for fish farming
? 2 women have backyard gardens
? Less than 200 trees in household orchards

Target:
? 10 individual households in domestic fish farming
? 5 linkages created for fish farming
? 12 women practicing backyard gardening
? 800 trees in household orchards - Domestic fish farming ponds making training
- Build Linkages with inputs supplies????
- Back yard gardening pegging??? Establish gardens
- Orchards development ??? Establish orchards
OBJECTIVE 2: Support dairy enterprises through provision of 5 in-calf dairy heifers to the cooperative, construct a solar and biogas powered milk collection center to help grow the dairy social enterprises and improve ecosystems management through crop-livestock integration model (Annex 1) within the project?s first 12 months.
Outputs Activities Outcome
Output 3: Increase food security and nutrition for 42 households with a population of 182 individuals.

Indicators for planned actions:
? Number of milk collection centres constructed
? Average Volume (litres) of milk produced per year
? Volume of biogas produced per year
? Number of dairy cows provided
? Hectares of land under polyculture practice
? Volume of fodder processed in community fodder bank per year

Baseline:
? zero milk collection centres constructed
? 14,640 litres of milk produced by village from indigenous cows per year
? Zero litres of biogas produced
? Zero ha of land under polycultured green mealies
? Zero kilograms and community fodder banks available

Target:
? 1 milk collection centre constructed
? 73,200 liters of milk produced per year
? 33,200 litres consumed per year
? $8000 earned from milk sales per year
? 5 dairy cows provided to the enterprise
? 4,000 kilograms of biogas produced per year
? 2 ha under polycultured green mealies throughout the year.
? 10,000 kilograms of fodder processed - Construction of milk collection centre
- Construction of biogas digester
- Installation of solar powered refrigeration
- Provision in 5 in-calf heifers???? specify the breed
- Development of a poly-culture crop plot??? Establish poly-culture crop plot
- Establish Community fodder bank development
- Sustainable ecosystems management increase food security and economic gains for a resilient community
Output 4: Increase income and employment from dairy farming enterprises

Indicators for planned actions:
? Number of farmers trained in dairy enterprise
? Tonnes of green mealies and water melons produced
? Income from green mealies and water melons

Baseline:
? No farmers trained in dairy enterprise
? No green mealies and water melons produced
? No income and green mealies and melon sales

Target:
? 42 farmers trained in dairy enterprises
? 8,000 kg of green mealies and melons produced
? $3,200 earned from green mealies per year - Dairy enterprise development training
- Green mealies and water melon production throughout the year
- Market linkages
OBJECTIVE 3: Increase diversity and profitability of resilient livestock enterprises for 55 women villagers through drought resistant indigenous Boschveld chickens production and marketing of poultry product within the first 18 months of the project.
Outputs Activities Outcome
Output 5: Women initiate Boschveld chicken production for meat and eggs

Indicators for planned actions:
? Diversity (number) of livestock at a household
? Number of drought and disease resilient Boschveld chicken supplied
? Number of women into Boschveld chickens breeding enterprise
? Income from chicken products recorded per year.
Baseline:
? Average of 3 livestock types kept per household
? Zero Boschveld chickens in the community
? Zero women into indigenous Boschveld chickens production
? No income recorded from chicken production
Target:
? At least 5 types of livestock kept per household.
? 8,000 Boschveld chickens produced by women group per year
$9,000 generated from sales of poultry products - Training women in chicken value chain for women????
- Supply 1500 Boschveld chicks for breeding
Link farmers to the Market linkages ????removed Increase women`s economic empowerment
OBJECTIVE 4: Support dry-land small grain (finger millet and sorghum) production, formation of drought mitigation silos/community grain banks and marketing of preserved seed and processed products for increasing food, income and availability of small grain seed on the market (Annex 2).
Outputs Activities Outcome
Output 6: Increase the number of farmers into small grain production, seed retention and marketing
Indicators for planned actions:
? Volume of small grain seed available in community
? Number of ward based extension officers specialized in small grain production.
? Number of community members with seed preservation skills
? Number of drought mitigation silos in place
? Number of farmers linked to small grain markets
? Number of SACCOs registered in the area
? Number of community processing centres
Baseline:
? 200kg of small grain seed available in community
? No ward based specialized small extension officers.
? 5 farmers with seed preservation skills
? Number drought mitigation silos in place
? 2 farmers linked to small grain markets
? No SACCOs registered in the area
? No community processing centre
Target:
? 2000 kg of small grain seed available in community
? 2 specialized extension officers capacitated.
? 42 farmers with seed preservation skills
? 1drought mitigation silos constructed
? 42 farmers linked to small grain markets
? 1 SACCOs registered in the area
? 1 community processing centre - Supply of small grain seed
- Extension services provision for small grain
- Construction of processing centre
- Seed preservation
- Construction of drought mitigation silos
- Market linkages
- Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO) registration. Strengthened community resilience to climate change through diversified food and income sources.

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