The impact of non-governmental organisations' development programmes in addressing food security in Chief Mazivofa, Mberengwa District, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Food insecurity is one of the biggest challenges faced by mankind. It is a main priority of governments and ranks second on the list of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2015 - 2030. With approximately 124 million people in about 51 countries facing acute food insecurity or worse (IPC level 3 or above), the full effects of this phenomenon hit the hardest in developing countries, especially in rural areas. Its causes range from climate change, economic meltdowns to political instability. While governments are trying to combat food insecurity, Non-Governmental Organisations have taken centre stage in this fight. Thus, the limelight that NGOs enjoy has attracted scrutiny on the impact of their programmes. The literature reveals that there are critical gaps in ascertaining the actual impact of programmes run by NGOs in addressing issues of food security. The biggest response by NGOs has been through relief aid and various income-generating as well as food production community projects. Given this context, the aim of this study was to be examine the impact of programmes implemented by NGOs in addressing food security challenges in Chief Mazivofa, using CARE as a case study. A qualitative research approach was used when conducting this study and data collected through in-depth interviews with research participants. The findings show that economic and ecological factors are responsible for food insecurity in Chief Mazivofa, Mberengwa District, Zimbabwe. It was further revealed that while relief aid was highly impactful during emergency situations, and empowerment or long term programmes run by CARE had limited impact due to the top-down approach implemented by CARE. The top-down approach failed to appreciate local knowledge and to capture the community's expectations, thus resulting in unintended consequences such as relief aid dependency at the expense of productiveness, empowerment and sustainability. It is recommended that NGOs adopt models that are more inclusive, thus more empowering. It is specifically recommended the ABCD model as a model or approach, to be adopted by CARE and other NGOs in implementing their food security programmes.