WHAT

WE DO

The SEED Project works primarily in communities where unemployment, ill health and hunger are high, and opportunities, hope and education are low. Our focus is on empowerment rather than aid, and our aim is for the long-term sustainability of these communities (i.e. reducing dependency on national and/or international donors).

We partner with local churches and other groups to identify needs and dreams within communities and then to facilitate the meeting of those needs and the realisation of those dreams. Visit the About us pages to find out more about the model by which we work or the Case studies section for a detailed look at some of the communities that we have helped.

SKILLS

DEVELOPMENT

Unemployment in Zimbabwe stands at around 90%. Many people drop out of education in order to begin earning but become trapped in a cycle of poverty.

In 2009, SEED started a skills development programme covering various trades and public services. The initial target group was gardeners from Greendale and the surrounding suburbs of Harare, where needs assessment had revealed a huge demand for practical skills development. Their work conditions and income were so low that they could not really provide for and often spent long periods away from their families.

Skills taught have included carpentry, electronics, welding, banking, basket weaving, bicycle servicing, and shoe repair. Training includes basic business and finance skills, enabling trainees to develop their own businesses. Equipped with their new income-generating skills, many are able to afford proper housing for their families and to send their children to school, all while making a valuable contribution to their local communities, even employing and passing their skills on to others.

Meet some of the individuals who we have helped to escape poverty through our skills development training in our Case studies pages.

MARKET

GARDENING

A quarter of Zimbabwe's rural population '2.2 million people' were expected to need food assistance in 2014. The country has a score of 16.5 (or "serious") on the Global Hunger Index.

Since SEED first helped a community with 300 orphans to obtain major nutritional benefits by improving their crops, our Community Development Workers have been working with a number of villages to explore how best to use alternative crops and methods for small scale agriculture to fight hunger. Having learned from early mistakes, we now have a successful model that has secured substantial health and financial benefits for 45 extended families in an HIV/AIDS-affected community. In 2013, their crops were such high quality that they attracted the attention of both market vendors and an international export company.

Surrounding villages have requested that SEED helps them in a similar way. Funds permitting, we are ready to implement the project with up to 100 additional families per year in Mashonaland East province.

For other examples of our work, see:

• 'Little Stars' pre-school
• Health education campaign

For images of all these projects please browse the gallery and for more detailed news please see the news section.

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