Presented at the International Symposium: Social Protection in Southern Africa: New Opportunities for Social Development : Johannesburg: May 2011 Mushunje: FAO/ZIMBABWE

Orphans aged 0-14 years – 1,265,473 (DHS, 2006) Orphans due to HIV and AIDS 0-14 years – 975,956 Children living with HIV and AIDS – 132,938 9,300 on ART (2007)

Loss of livelihood opportunities Limited skills transfer Uptake of adult roles at tender ages (child headed households) Weak support structures as a result of HIV and AIDS and socio-economic environment e.g. reduced extended family support Increased poverty Limited access to social services

1. National Action Plan for OVC I and II Objectives NAP I had 7 objectives with one focusing on livelihoods i.e. Increase access for OVC to nutrition, health, hygiene, HIV Prevention and Life and Livelihood Skills education 6

2. Agriculture Sector Strategy on HIV Strategy has 10 priority areas and one of them is to: Improve the livelihoods and quality of life for communities, households and individuals living with and affected by HIV and AIDS. -Within this goal, livelihoods concerns for OVC are also addressed

 National Strategy on Children in Difficult Circumstances: a Govt. Social Protection Programme (2001)  National Orphan care policy  Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM  Public Assistance  National Programme of Action for Children  Civil Society Organisations (CSO)  Harmonised cash transfers (recently introduced)

 The majority of Zimbabwean children still rely on some extended family network.  Fostering (mostly informal) is still practised  Conversion of children’s institutions from dormitory styles to family set ups

 very close partnerships of civil society, government, and other institutions on raising awareness on the plight of vulnerable children  Coordinated mobilization of resources to provide for the care and protection of children.  Systematic approach to child welfare through oversight role provided by the Ministry of Social Services e.g. National Action Plan for OVC

 Inadequate policies and legislation regarding livelihood- based social protection;  Limited effective and meaningful collaboration among government departments and civil society organizations providing care and support to children (not enough evidence as yet to substantiate efficacy of LBSP);

 Failure of interventions to keep up with the changing context of OVC  Inadequate resources for livelihood-based social protection.  Non sustainability of social services  Absence of a social protection strategy

A livelihood refers to the means a person has in securing the necessities of life. Includes one’s abilities, the resources at his/her disposal and activities through which he/she makes a living

It is based on the sustainable livelihoods system which : ◦ Puts people at the centre of development ◦ Builds upon people’s strengths rather than their needs ◦ Unifies different sectors behind a common theme ◦ Takes into account how development decisions affect gender ◦ Linking policy decisions and household level activities

Household economic strengthening activities have been limited Focus of interventions have been remedial in approach though the long term benefits may be transformative e.g. education There is a strong focus on a holistic approach in which short term interventions are provided in the short immediate term whilst longer term strategies are crafted. 15

LBSP also emphasizes the importance of creating strong linkages with government for an institutionalized and sustained means of intervention. Reinforces community capacity building

Integration ◦ institutionalize of support by government for orphaned and vulnerable Holistic Development Includes combining, coordinating and adopting different intervention approaches and methodologies that fulfil not only children’s basic needs but also support their well- being and development.

Participation Children and their communities must actively participate in developing policies, strategies etc Sustainability Interventions should be designed to consider the long- term nature of the needs of children and youth and that vulnerabilities may outlast project life cycles.

Coverage ◦ Within communities, programmes should use ‘universal targeting’ of all children in order to reduce stigma and discrimination. Developmental ◦ Interventions should focus on empowering and building children’s capacities to realize their full human potential whether physically, emotionally, economically or otherwise.

Gender Sensitivity Policies, strategies and programmes must be gender sensitive, particularly considering the feminization of both poverty and the HIV epidemic in the region. Child Rights Centred Should focus on fulfilling childdren’s rights

Presents a strategic shift in the Department of Social Services’ operation mode from service provisioning (welfarism) to enabling the communities (proactive) to generate their sources of livelihoods The MoLSS with financial and technical support from FAO has started full scale mainstreaming of LBSP into the NAP for OVC at coordination and implementation level. 21

Training in LBSP for key stakeholders (social services, agriculture, health, civil society); Evidence building for LBSP through identification of a catalogue of promising initiatives at national levels Documentation of Lessons learnt for further up-scaling. Development of a guide on Livelihoods based social protection Learning regional visits on ongoing projects Incorporation of livelihoods in the primary school curriculum 22

UNICEF Ministry of Irrigation, Mechanisation and Agricultural Development, Ministry of Labour and Public Services Ministry of Education National AIDS Council

Nutrition gardens; Agricultural input support; Livestock support programmes (goat/chicken); Skills training for out of school OVC Income generating/revolving fund schemes Junior Farmer Field and Life skills 24

 CRS piloted the Cash transfers for households in ◦ Asset creation but not enough for protection against hazards ◦ Household focus was important (reduced orphan syndrome) ◦ Gave households a choice ◦ Pass on schemes were too small to make a significant impact ◦ Confidence building for OVC

 More innovations need to be identified for livelihoods strengthening  Implement livelihoods interventions that are premised on a social protection strategy  Greater coordination by government  Collaboration of state and non state actors with the community  Household approach to child protection  Documentation of lessons learnt  Upscaling of initiatives

Thank you