Amalima Learning Site

SO1: Improve household access to and availability of food

SO2: Improve community resilience to shocks

SO3: Improve nutrition and health for pregnant and lactating women and children under 2

CNFA, an international NGO that specializes in agricultural development, is the prime implementer of the Amalima program and serves as technical lead for SO1 and SO2, working with local partners and counterparts, to improve crop and livestock production and marketing. CNFA’s focus is on promoting food security through increased adoption of climate smart agricultural practices and drought-tolerant crops, while increasing incomes with Farming as a Business training, improved marketing opportunities, and village savings and lending groups for investment in income generating activities. CNFA also oversaw the grants, household asset voucher program, and community asset development using the cash for assets methodology.

ORAP is a Zimbabwean grassroots organization with significant food security programming experience and deep ties to communities in Matabeleland North and South through its rural village association membership network. In Amalima, ORAP is responsible for community mobilization, field-level technical assistance, and the distribution of food rations to households with pregnant and lactating women and children under two.

IMC an international NGO that specializes in health and nutrition, leads the implementation of SO3, which uses a 1,000 days approach to prevent malnutrition among pregnant and lactating women and children under two years of age. IMC also leads WASH promotion and nutrition education elements of the program.

The Manoff Group is a woman-owned small business that provides development assistance in communications and behavior-centered programming in nutrition and child and maternal health. Under Amalima, the Manoff Group implements the social and behavior change strategy to support nutrition, maternal and child health activities, and agricultural activities.

Dabane Water Workshops is a leading Zimbabwe-based NGO specializing in the development of sustainable water supply systems in arid environments and provides specialized technical and engineering support to the project in the development of community-managed water supply systems such as dams and solar-powered irrigation systems.

Africare, is an international NGO that builds sustainable healthy and productive communities, implements natural resource management and disaster risk reduction activities under SO1. Africare also supports the program’s commodity management and environmental compliance functions.

Amalima uses a 1,000 days approach specifically targeting pregnant and lactating women and children under two years of age with interventions to prevent malnutrition and stunting. Amalima’s feeding program provides a ration of corn-soy blend+ and fortified vegetable oil to this target population, which is meant to be a supplement their monthly food basket with critical macro and micronutrients to prevent stunting in young children.

Amalima’s feeding program provides a ration of corn-soy blend+ and fortified vegetable oil to this target population, which is meant to be a supplement their monthly food basket with critical macro and micronutrients to prevent stunting in young children.

The program has developed and utilized an adaptive management and learning approach to address the complex challenges facing the poorest of the poor in rural Matabeleland, adjusting strategies and program activities over the course of implementation. This approach has allowed the Amalima team to pivot quickly to address changing dynamics such as prolonged drought, economic shocks, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bulilima District

Community Assets

Gwanda District

Community Assets

Mangwe District

Community Assets

Tsholotsho District

Community Assets