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EW CASE STUDY IN ZIMBABWE, South Eastern Africa Primary Objectives:
Review
of "7 Stages to Sustainability" for Primary Objective
#1 1) (engagement) The catalyst of this project - and Partner in Empowerment #1 (a Social Entrepreneur) was local mother of four, artist, child advocate, Julia Kunzekwenyika. Dedicated to helping vulnerable children and women, Julia was selling her artwork to cover school fees of orphans in need. T&J Designs, a textile painting cooperative, Partner in Empowerment #2 (a Sustainable Business), became a fundamental income generating focus with its demonstrated commitment to providing jobs to widows. 2) (identify local assets) To lay the foundation for longer-term economic self reliance, Julia, T&J, and the EW project facilitator identified local assets/ economic opportunities including hand painted textiles, stone sculptures, and art work. As transportation costs limited exports in the rural areas, local assets of tree seedlings, uniform making, soap making, and cow trading were identified. 3) (plan collaborative action) Together they co-created a plan to establish a community based orphan care program (more efficient than institutional orphanages and without the stigma). EW & local partners developed an educational curriculum honoring tradition as well as current life-skills. 4) (build capacity) EW assists in program design, and supported Julia’s home with training in accounting, and other capacity building skills to better manage local services and engaged outside experts in child development to support the special needs of orphans in program. 5) (invest in appropriate tech) EW invests in sustainable agriculture and art supplies, also financially in Community Trusts for Vulnerable Children (micro-grants), and conducts workshops w/ village partners - promoting food security. 6) (sustainable trade) Local marketing and regional craft exporters are introduced to T&J and begin test marketing of samples to international markets. 7) (expand) T&J continues to seek market opportunities in the US promoting economic sustainability and community based orphan care. CASE STUDY EVALUATION SUMMARY: THIS LOCALLY-LED PROGRAM (JULIA'S HOME & RURAL COMMUNITY OUTREACH) WAS SUPPORTED BY EW-USA FOR 8 YEARS (2002-2008) WHILE IT CREATED HOPEFUL FUTURES FOR HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN, AS A SINGLE OUTSIDE ORGANIZATION, IT HAS NOT REACH THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF 7 STAGES. TAKE ACTION: EW works directly with local Zimbabwean partners to ensure your support brings hope, health and sustainable dignity to vulnerable children and their communities. Local Assets > Initiatives: 1. "Julia's Home" orphan care & community outreach 2. T&J Designs - Beyond Fair Trade™ Zimbabwe 3. Global HIV research partners for affordable treatment “Julia’s Home of Happy Colors” home-based orphan care In January 2002, EW partnered with child advocate and social entrepreneur, Julia Kunzekwenyika to establish a home-based Orphan Care program where children orphaned by AIDS would be nurtured in the traditions of their birth parents. Today, in addition to providing 15 children with nutritious meals, health care, and education, Julia's Home is the foundation for EW's holistic community outreach programs in marginalized rural areas. Community-Based Orphan Care (people = resources) ACTION: In addition to supporting school scholarships of 250 children, which began in 2002, EW's integrative social and economic approach empowers existing social networks of grandparents, neighbors and educational institutions to meet the needs of Zimbabwe's growing rural orphan population. In February 2007, EW asked concerned locacitizens in these areas what they could do to meet the needs of vulnerable orphans. Building on its Micro-grants for Social Entrepreneurs pilot project, launched in South America, Spring 2006, EW began the Zimbabwe version, "Community Trusts for Orphans and Vulnerable Children". With grants starting at 200usd, women's groups, teachers, church leaders, and grandmothers work together to build and manage locally based income generation projects optimizing unique local skills and natural resources. Currently there are 3 such community trusts (ranging from community gardens, soap making, uniform sewing to cow trading) raising funds and food for vulnerable orphans in the rural Chivu district. IMPACT: In addition to contributing to improved psycho-social development, this method, of supporting children where they ARE, is up to 6 times more cost effective when compared to orphanages or institutionalized care in meeting the same basic needs. T&J Designs - Beyond Fair Trade™ Zimbabwe Every EW country program is developed in concert with economic opportunities for economic sustainability. EW Zimbabwe was founded in partnership with community conscious company T&J designs, which had already enabled Julia to sponsor up to 40 orphans' school fees and provided livelihoods for widows in her rural village. T&J Designs is serving as the model for EW's Beyond Fair Trade™ initiative to promote fairly traded products that also support health, educational and environmental programs where they are made. Beyond Fair Trade™ brand products are identified by non-profits which are responsible for monitoring of their production and resulting social impact. Working together with sustainable businesses (distribution & design) and media groups (branding & marketing), BFT aims to create a new standard for sustainable dignity. EW is currently building this network as an official fair trade Trust Provider for World of Good/ Ebay. Art 4 AIDS Relief - testing, education, & treatment In
2000 Empowerment Works effort in Zimbabwe began with
young artists living in the high density township of Mbare, Zimbabwe
(with one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the world)
who were destitute by a decreasing market for their precious Shona
sculptures. Empowering those most at risk to fight AIDS on the front lines, EW engaged 10 peer educators from Streets Ahead homeless youth center, and 10 Artists from urban cooperatives to be trained in DESERET International's HIV prevention education course promoting voluntary testing and counseling. On the treatment side, EW's director investigated the medicinal plant based formulas of an herbalist treating himself and other AIDS patients. To assess efficacy, EW established a local clinic, "Hope Dzakanaka" ("Good Dreams" in local Shona language), and conducted a monitored treatment program for informed patients in cooperation with local physicians and testing facilities. While the local treatment program ended in 2003, hope continues through socially conscious research firm BioNova Medical corporation (honors & reinvests in communities of source) which has patented the plant based formulas. Having recently conducted research partnerships with City of Hope and UCLA AIDS Institute, In-vitro studies at both institutes have demonstrated anti-retro viral activity. MORE INFO: Read EW Advisor David C. Jamali (Zimbabwe, Australia) report on local conditions: The visit to my land of birth May 2007 Artist, Keith Biele brings skills & therapy to Zimbabwe where EW has supported community based orphan care for over 5 years. Read Keith's report & see video |
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