Elita Chikwati — The heat is unbearable and members of the Svinurai Internal Saving and Lending (ISAL) group gather at their usual meeting place, a shed.
It is on a Wednesday afternoon in Miye, Chiredzi ward 8 in Masvingo and they have braved the weather for a good purpose.
The all-female members have brought their partners and they are drawing pieces of art that speak to their visions for the next two years.
Some draw houses, others gardens and some shops and cars, the list is cannot be exhausted.
Since the members have brought their partners, each couple is given an opportunity to share their vision with the rest of the group.
A couple stands up, hugs before introducing itself and starts explaining the family's vision supported by proceeds from their income generating projects.
The couple wants to buy a stand, build a house in an urban area or rural and would also want to expand its poultry business.
They have set a timeline by which they want to have achieved their vision.
The other group members also contribute highlighting the importance of setting realistic visions that can be attained within the set timeframe.
The members also identify hindrances, which may affect their projects and achieving the visions. Many suggest gender-based violence and abuse of the funds, as some men spend the money on beer.
Svinurai ISAL group consists of 14 women and is one of the beneficiaries of the Toose project being implemented in Chiredzi by the World Food Programme (WFP) in partnership with Plan International and Musasa, as part of efforts to reduce the perpetration of intimate partner violence and other forms of violence against women and girls.
ISALs have been instrumental in economically empowering members who have used proceeds to do various income generating projects including poultry production, petty trade in second hand clothes, gardening and vending among others.
Women come together and mobilise resources, contribute money and lend the money to members at affordable interest rates so that the pool grows.
Svinurai group got seed funding of US$200 from Plan to boost their saving portfolio.
The Toose project was introduced after a realisation that women were the most affected by economic hardships, as they carry the largest burden of family and child care.
It was also discovered that the pressure on men to adequately provide for their families in light of economic and food security challenges had been putting a strain on intimate partner relations leading to GBV, alcohol and drug abuse thus negatively affecting children in most vulnerable areas.
WFP and Plan partnered to empower the community through establishment of internal savings and lending groups and induction of the ISALS members to the Toose approach.
At community response, the organisations are also spreading the Toose approach to other community members not directly involved in the programme.
This has seen more people getting knowledge about GBV and also accessing essential services from Musasa.
The Toose sessions have changed lives of participants and challenged negative norms of the community that perpetrate GBV.
From testimonials, a number of couples improved their relationships, as they were able to resolve conflict without resorting to violence.
They also have acquired knowledge on financial literacy and are now able to run income generating projects viably.
Some of the beneficiaries said they were now able to send their children to school, have nutritious food and were also investing in other income generating projects.
Mrs Tamary Mazivisa said: "The project helps us to remain focused, we now work as a team and there is harmony in our family. We plan together and this has cemented our relationship."
Plan international programme coordinator, Ms Miyela Mabunda said members were trained on the ISAL approach -- selection, planning and management of income generating activities.
"Plan through Toose is economically empowering households to manage economic stress, and for women to have improved negotiating power in the household. Plan is now taking Svinurai group and their partners through Toose sessions.
"The sessions are a household social empowerment tool that focuses on gender transformation linking change at individual, household and community levels. It consists of a set of analytical application tools for use by ordinary men and women to develop new visions for their relationships.
"It also helps to explore cash access and utilisation issues perpetuated by gender inequality and social norms, which give rise to violence against women and girls," she said.
Musasa, on the other hand, is assisting ISALs and other community members through GBV awareness to prevent violence against women and girls.
Musasa programmes officer, Ms Sharon Matingwina said they had also established One Stop Centres in Chiredzi urban to offer comprehensive services, including counselling, transportation, medical support and legal advice.
"To ensure that support is accessible to all, the Mobile One Stop Centre specifically targets cash based transfer beneficiaries, women with disabilities and those at risk of GBV.
"This holistic approach has encouraged more survivors to come forward for help. Some have been referred to shelters for their safety and continued support," she said.
Masvingo Ministry of Women Affairs, Community Small and Medium Enterprise Development community development officer, Mr Elia Shonai said GBV was prevalent in the province and Government working with partners had come up with initiatives to protect women.
Some of the interventions include making sure women are economically empowered.
"Some of the violence women experience emanates from poverty. They do not have access to means of production and sometimes face challenges securing loans from banks because they do not have collateral.
"As a Ministry and other partners we are encouraging ISALs, which will help the women to have start-ups for income generating projects.
"We are also in partnership with the Ministry of Lands and have smallholder irrigation gardens. Women are the majority of players in these gardens and receive technical assistance from extension officers. They are into horticulture and have disposable incomes.
"As a Ministry, we also train women to start income generating projects and also fund small groups, through the women development fund. Through these interventions, women become independent and no longer vulnerable to abuse, "he said.
Masvingo provincial secretary, Dr Addmore Pazvakavambwa applauded WFP for complimenting Government efforts in ensuring household food security through their various projects.
He said this had reduced domestic violence.
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"Government is also working on addressing challenges that hinder women progression and has come up with policies that promote empowerment. We now have female traditional leaders and this is important in addressing issues affecting women," he said.
He said Government was also promoting water harvesting through dam construction to increase the area under irrigation and boost food production and ensure food security in the province.
Dr Pazvakavambwa applauded the WFP for partnering Government in ensuring people were food secure through cash based transfers, food assistance and fight against GBV.
"We are happy with WFP for its assistance, for instance, in Mwenezi where 97 000 people are getting assistance. We share notes and we also try to emulate what WFP is doing in terms of selection of beneficiaries and distribution. According to the ZIMLAC around 54 percent will be vulnerable during the peak hunger period, the hardest-hit being Mwenezi, Chivi and Gutu. Going forward, we need to think about sustainability. That is why we have to come up with a raft of measures. If we go for irrigation we will lessen the burden on our shoulders," he said.
WFP deputy director, Mr Billy Mwiinga said WFP was looking at opportunities to enhance the work being done by Government.
"We try to look at opportunities to bring other partners and agencies to work along these lines because we feel that this great work especially in times of food insecurity and this type of shock, issues around protection and GBV are really key and they manifest themselves a lot and we need to work together," he said.
WFP is also running the Urban Social Assistance progamme in Chiredzi targeting 11 000 people from the most vulnerable households across eight wards.
Vulnerable households received food assistance through cash transfer of US$13 per individual monthly.
