2015 SADC GENDER PROTOCOL SUMMIT AND AWARDSEconomic Justice and Education and Training This award recognises NGOs and CBOs that have done the most to build effective coalitions and networks for the implementation of the SADC Protocol on Gender and development; holding governments accountable; conducting advocacy workshops at the grassroots level, as well as growing the women’s movement in SADC.

Fields marked with a red asterisk (*) are compulsory

Title MRSPresenter TARISAI MAZARURA

Who you represent NORTON TOWN COUNCIL COUNCILLOR

Sex tick Male Female

Country ZIMBABWEEmail tariemazarura@gmail.co

mCell phone 0772274119

Quotable quotes*

Gogo Chindove a Norton Resident said the Economic Justice and Education and training project introduced by the Councillor for ward 4 Cllr Mazarura has brought so much relief to her household as she is now able to feed herself, children and grandchildren. She is now able to pay her bills as she has an income generating project that is not capital intensive.

Synopsis*Economic Justice and Education and training involve the economic emancipation of women and the elderly through education and training. In my ward I have created an organisation called National Association for Family Foster Care (NAFFOC). This organisation has three groups within it namely Ebenezer Women’s group for mushroom growing, the elderly rearing rabbits, and Knowe Horticulture. National Association for Family Foster Care has facilitated the creation of a platform and coalition for peer learning networking, information sharing and exchange of ideas on the promotion of Economic Justice, eradicating social and economic inequalities including gender inequalities, and the promotion and advocating for gender mainstreaming and gender friendly policies. If society is not caring we might think that we are solving these problems and yet we will be transferring the problems to the less privileged and socially disadvantaged members of our society’. The inspiring words by the chairperson of National Association for Family Foster Care made everyone at a community mobilisation meeting to realise the need combined efforts in fighting gender inequalities which perpetuates poverty among less privileged groups.

1

National Association for Family Foster Care has facilitated the establishment of a coalition of Norton based civil society organisations for the effective promotion of economic justice through peer learning network and organisational capacity building through participatory training and education. The organisation has partnered Institute of Social Work, a membership governed training organisation of social workers, in order to achieve this objective. The coalition includes the following Norton based organisations, CBOs, governments departments, business organisations and residents associations. The aim of the alliance is to facilitate the creation of a platform for peer learning networks, information sharing and exchange of ideas through participatory training workshops, seminars, expos, breakfast meetings, winter and summer schools, refresher courses among others. This have achieved a better understanding of economic justice, a strong voice on gender friendly economic policies for the promotion of gender equality and gender mainstreaming, economic empowerment of the socially disadvantaged groups through training on mushroom production, organic poultry, fish and crocodile farming, business management and marketing. This has been achieved through reaching every targeted beneficiaries

Key objectives of the network or alliance *

- To facilitate the creation of a platform for information sharing, exchange of business ideas and peer learning networks on economic justice and education and training.

- To alleviate poverty in communities. - To uplift the standards of living for members- To capacitate communities and organisations through participatory

training workshops for the promotion of economic justice, gender mainstreaming and gender equality.

- To carry out awareness campaigns among network members on gender based violence.

- To promote networking among members

Beneficiaries and partners*Please list your key beneficiaries and partners in this table; those you reach directly and estimates of those whom you reach indirectly.

Direct Indirect Name of group

Women Men Total Women

Men Total

Ebenezer Women’s group

10 -

Elderly rabbit rearing group

05 -

Knowe Horticulture.

10 05

2

Total

Monitoring and evaluation*What types of monitoring and evaluation methods and tools did you use to measure the impact of the campaign. These may include qualitative and quantitative –

The different groups had objectives they set to achieve from the onset. The trainers of the groups periodically checks if the objectives are being met. For example Ebenezer Women’s group for mushroom growing is supports to supply the local market with mushroom every week and realize a profit of $200 every week. This will be distributed amongst members. The horticulture group also supplies the local market with all vegetable requirements, Making and average of $250 to $300 per week. This money is also share amongst members. Same for the rabit rearing projects.

The result is to see ward residents sustainable and able to make a living and pay their bills. The should be a decrease in school drop outs in the ward. No cases of school children failing to register for examination due unavailability of funds. The is also an reduction of GBV because scare resources usually perpetuate GBV.

Relationship to the Alliance Secretariat *There are no external linkages

Key activities *Please list at least five. – 300 words

1. Cultivation of vegetables and nurseries for seeds 2. Rabbit rearing for resale3. Mushroom growing4. Training of other stakeholders to equip them with similar skills as

members of NAFFOC5. Marketing and selling of produce

Resource mobilization *Please state how you have mobilized for resource allocations for work on gender equality.

Amount local currency (specify)

Amount in Rand

Explanation

Gender specific allocation

$1000Members of the Ebenezer group contributed $2 each as membership and

3

I provided them with mushroom seed. I paid $40 per house hold for the construction of the rabbit cages.

Gender in mainstream projects (please specify)

$800

Amount contributed in cash or in kind by partner organisations (please specify)

Training material by the facilitator

TOTAL $1800

Results

Working with governments *What results have been achieved as a result of your work with government to implement the 28 targets of the SADC Gender Protocol? Do you sit on government delegations on regional and international platforms? Please give at least one example of the influence you have been able to exert in these structures? 200 words

I am ward Councillor for ward 4 in Norton I have been able to use my influence as ward Councillor to get permission from Council to allow those that are doing Horticulture to construct green houses. The Town planning regulation prohibits the use of residential land for farming purposes. I was able to influence Council to allow the construction of green Houses on residential stands since the stands range from 2000 sqm to 4000 sqm which is quite big and spacious.

I do not sit on any government delegation, whether at the international or regional level and neither did I have any confrontations with the government. I enjoy cordial working relationship with government ministries at the community level. I work with a number of government ministries and departments. These include the department of social services, ministry of gender and women affairs, ministry of youth, indginization and economic empowerment and agritex. Through working with the government, I achieved remarkable results. In terms of logistics it was easy especially communication and transport. The ministry of youth for instance would provide us with the training facilities at its Norton vocational centre. Also they would assist us with typing services. The ministry of gender and women affairs would provide their officers as resource persons on gender issues awareness campaigns, this would be very much cheap as we would not have to hire consultants who might require high allowances and travelling costs. They will also help with resource materials. ‘we sincere appreciate the work of the councilor for ward

4

4 for promoting gender equality at the grassroots level, Nancy Mbaura, Norton based ministry of gender and women affairs.

Evidence *Please provide testimonial evidence of the influence you have had by providing at least one quote from a senior government functionary, from a speech or in any other platform, acknowledging the work of your organisation. Please ensure that you provide name, surname, organisation and designation. 200 words

Working with civil society *What strategies have you used to mobilise support amongst civil society to work on the 28 targets of the protocol? What have been the results. 200 words

Door to door campaigns – were conducted to educate women in the ward to join any group in NAFFOC so that they can do income generating projects.

Ward meetings – ward meetings were conducted to sensitise women on NAFFOC. People were made aware of what was happening and trained on the various activities they chose to join.

5

Church gatherings – As Ward Councillor when asked to speak at a church gathering I take advantage of people already gathered in numbers to talk about Economic Justice and education and training so that I create an awareness in people of the activities in the ward.

Political gatherings – as a member of a political party holding the post of Councillor, I took advantage of my social status to educate the public both men and women when called upon to address members of my party. I educated people on the advantages of self-reliance and what economic justice was all about.

Evidence *Please provide testimonial evidence of the influence you have had by providing at least one quote from a senior official in a civil society organisation acknowledging the work of your organisation. Please ensure that you provide name, surname, organisation and designation. 200 words

Working with communities *What are the results of your engagement with communities on the SADC Gender Protocol? Please provide at least one example. 200 words

By engaging the community in the project implementation I realized that the objectives of the project will be achieved. I used a bottom up approach when I was implementing the project. I first gathered knowledge and attitudes about gender issues in my ward in order to clear the misconceptions. Having cleared the misconceptions then people started to feel free to discuss the issues. I have observed that people have a lot of misconceptions about gender issues. Communities need to be invited for them to feel ownership of the project. Their views need to be respected.

Poverty alleviation is the main result in working with communities doing such a project. Communication has greatly improved. It is now easier to encourage ward members to go and settle their bills with Council because a relationship is already in existence.

Youths from Climate Change Project were also trained in mushroom growing, rabbit rearing and horticulture

Evidence *Please provide testimonial evidence in the form of at least one quote from a community member acknowledging the work of your organisation. Please ensure that you provide name, surname, organisation and designation.* 200 words

6

Gogo Chindove an elderly member of ward 4 said NAFFOC had brought hope to her family because of the projects they embarked on.

Working with the media *How do you engage with the media to popularize the Protocol? 150 words

I have not used national press. I have posted on the Council website

Evidence www.nortontown.co.zw

Capacity building *Does the organisation build capacity of other organisations on the SADC Protocol? Please provide at least example of training that has been conducted – 200 Words

We have trained youths from Climate change on the skills to do what NAFFOC members have done.

7

As a councilor, I used a number of strategies to mobilise support among civil society organisations to get support for the project. I teamed up with my project management team and embarked on door to door visits of those CBOs, faith based organisations, private voluntary organisations and NGOs starting with those based in my ward, mobilizing them support the project. The mobilization of civil society did not target those in my ward, it instead extended to those based outside my ward. As a way of garnering support among civil society to support the project, identified people employed by civil society organisations who resides in my ward. I contacted personal meetings with them and kindly requested them to sell the project to their places of work. This strategy did not only assist me to have support from the civil society organisations but from the corporate world. For example, an employee of ZFC, a fertilizer manufacturing company heard about the project and she contacted Hazvinei Makumbe, a ZFC representative who later came and train our group on beans and maize growing, who also later advised the trained group to contact, contact pioneer seeds for maize seeds donations. Mr machaka from pioneer seeds gave 17 members of the 2kgs each of maize seeds in November 2014. By working with the civil society based in the area, I realized that it will be easy to get into community

Evidence *Please provide testimonial evidence by providing at least one quote from a person who has been trained regarding what they have learned. Please ensure that you provide name, surname, organisation and designation. 200 words

8

Lesson learned and innovation *1) Working with governments: How do you deal with situations where the

organisation and the government have different views on implementing the Protocol? Please give at least one example of how this creative tension has helped to produce better results?

2) Working with partner organisations: What lessons have been learned about working with partner organisations?

3) Any other lessons learned? 4) How will these result in new approaches in the future? 500 words

During the project implementation, I personally did not encounter any situation where I differed with the government in the project implementation despite the factor that I am a councilor from the opposition. I am enjoying good working relationship with Norton based civil servants whom I am working with in the project implementation. I freely consult them on government policies related to the project implementation. I maintain my position of complementing government efforts on issues affecting residents norton’s ward 4. In implementing the project irealise that by partnering other civil society already working in that particular area, it will be easy to be accepted by the community. This will clear suspicion and misconceptions. Also this will be easy to reach the target group. Working with other civil society organisations promotes networking and easy to mobilise resources especially resource persons. For example, through working with District Aids Committees, we managed to identified various support groups of people living with HIV whom we encouraged to be members of the mushroom production group and be actively involved in mushroom production, as mushroom is known for boosting the immune system. Through the project, I learnt that people in my community have various misconceptions about gender issues, resulting in them not to free discuss about it, the project have therefore helped me to learn that before one talks about gender issues there is therefore need to know what people think about it and clear any misconceptions, if there are any. He project has helped me to realize that people in my ward, especially women, are not aware of their rights especially economic rights. So, through carrying out awareness campaigns on participative justice, and [making input to economic process to earn a living] the actual involving them in self-help income generating notably mushroom project, rabbit keeping and a nutrition garden, I am therefore not only empowering them economically but also making them aware of their economic rights and in the process fighting gender inequality.

The project has helped me to identify the vicious circle of poverty in my ward. I was able to realize that women who lack a basic primary education are unlikely to send their own children to school. These children would then follow their parents’ footsteps of working in the adjacent commercial farms as

9

seasonal casual labourers where they earn meagre salaries causing them to live in abject poverty. Girls would try to escape from this poverty through early marriage, and in the process worsening the situation. As a way of breaking this vicious circle of poverty pregnant teenagers, teenage mothers and young single and married women in my ward are being reintegrated into school or enrolled at Norton Vocational Training Centre for vocational training.

10