Awardee Name and Host Country CNFA, Award Number CNFA FFP-A-13-00004 Activity Name Amalima Activity Start Date June 14, 2013 Activity End date June 13, 2020 Submission Date November 5, 2018 Reporting Fiscal Year FY 2018 Awardee HQ Contact Name Alan Pieper 1828 L Street NW, Suite. 710, Awardee HQ Contact Address Washington DC, 20036

Host Country Office Contact Name David Brigham

Submitted to: Tammy Boger U.S. Agency for International Development Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance Office of Food for Peace 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20523 Email: [email protected]

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List of Acronyms AMC Asset Management Committee CA Conservation Agriculture CBF Community Based Facilitator CFA Cash for Assets CGV Care Group Volunteers CHC Community Health Club CU2 Children Under 2 DRR Disaster Risk Reduction EHT Environmental Health Technicians EMA Environmental Management Agency FaaB Farming as a Business FAW Fall Armyworm FDP Food Distribution Point FFA Food for Assets FY Fiscal year GoZ Government of Zimbabwe HHAV Household Asset Vouchers LM Lead Mothers LQAS Lot Quality Assurance Sampling MoHCC Ministry of Health and Child Care PFNSC Provincial Food and Nutrition Security Committee PHC Primary Health Center PHHE Participatory Health and Hygiene Education PLW Pregnant and Lactating Women USD United States Dollars VAC Village Agriculture Coordinators VS&L Village Savings and Loan WASH Water, Sanitation, and Hygeine

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Contents I. Executive Summary ...... 4 II. Results ...... 4 Strategic Objective 1: Household access to and availability of food improved ...... 5 Strategic Objective 2: Community resilience to shocks improved...... 16 Strategic Objective 3: Nutrition and health among pregnant and lactating women (PLW); and boys and girls under 2 improved ...... 21 Crosscutting Activities ...... 27 III. Direct Participating Households by Sector Table...... 29 IV. Challenges, Successes, and Lessons Learned ...... 31

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I. Executive Summary The Amalima program promotes resilience and food and nutrition security for 95,536 direct participants (58% adult female, 10% adult male, 16% girls, 16% boys) in four rural districts of the Matabeleland region in southern Zimbabwe by sustainably improving household nutrition and food security and strengthening communities’ resilience to shocks by leveraging communal initiatives to increase productivity, improve drought mitigation and adaptation, and enhance nutrition and hygiene practices. FY18 was the fifth year of implementation. During this FY, the program was extended for two years until June 2020. The reporting year was bookended by notable political developments. In Q1, the President of Zimbabwe, who had been in power since independence in 1980, was bloodlessly removed from office in favor of his Vice President, and national elections took place in Q4. The elections were generally peaceful, and the ruling party retained power. Some activities involving large gatherings of people were delayed until after the elections to avoid potential conflict during the campaign period. Economically, cash shortages, which began in early 2017, flared into a full blown financial crisis over the course of 2018. Officially the Zimbabwean economy operates in US Dollars (USD), but the severely depleted reserves of USD cash can no longer be accessed through the banks, nor can USD funds be transferred out of the country through the banking system, leaving importers unable to pay foreign suppliers. Parallel markets emerged with $1 USD cash trading for $2 by bank transfer, mobile money, or Zimbabwean “bond notes” by the end of the FY – effectively halving individuals’ bank balances in real USD terms. This had wide ranging impacts on the country, from inflation to shortages of key imported goods such as fuel and medicines. The crisis continued to deepen rapidly at the end of the FY. The Amalima districts, being near the border with Botswana and South Africa, were somewhat insulated from the crisis as goods flow across the borders and households often receive remittances in South African Rand, which is used widely in rural Matabeleland. II. Results Results Framework (Theory of Change) The Amalima Results Framework has not changed. However, in preparation for the 2020 extension the Amalima team reevaluated the activities and developed a sustainability plan, looking at which activities and behaviors were most vital to continue after the closure of the program, and who among communities, government, and the private sector would drive these behaviors, and activities. Though objectives remain the same, approaches have been refined to focus on cost recovery, volunteer recognition and motivation, and support from and linkages to government and traditional leaders. Notable changes include the promotion of selected high- performing lead farmers to became Village Agriculture Coordinators (VACs), and the introduction of Amalima Days. The latter are large community-led events build on the established tradition of agricultural field days to highlight key activities and achievements across SOs, including health and nutrition, and to publicly recognize the contributions of community volunteers and the support of traditional leaders and government technical officers in those activities. Amalima also added a learning unit to better organize and support learning initiatives across the program.

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Strategic Objective 1: Household access to and availability of food improved Matabeleland is an arid region with low average rainfall and limited surface water sources. Amalima provides improved access to water by rehabilitating and constructing dams, abstracting water from river beds, and promoting technologies that conserve moisture, which contribute to enhanced productivity and production leading to improved access and availability of food. The reporting year saw poorer than average rainfall, with a prolonged dry spell in the middle of the season which resulted in low harvests of staple grains (maize, sorghum, millet) and an increase in food insecurity compared to the previous year. Following the poor harvest in 2018, national food insecurity for the coming lean season (Jan-Mar 2019) is projected to be 28%, compared to 11% in the previous year. The situation was better for livestock than for crops, as late rains replenished dams and improved pasture before the dry season. The overall impact of the national outbreak of fall army worm in Matabeleland was limited by the dry spell, but maize in irrigation schemes was severely affected. IR 1.1 Agricultural Production and Productivity Improved Improving access to water, appropriate technologies, and strengthening market systems for private sector participation in rural economies stimulates farmers to improve production and productivity. With improved productivity and production and access to reliable markets, incomes and food security for rural households is enhanced. This enables communities to access a diverse range of nutritious foods contributing to improved nutrition and health. IR 1.1.1 Access to water resources for agricultural production improved In FY18, Amalima worked to maintain and rehabilitate existing water points, completed construction on an irrigation scheme from FY17, and began constructing three new irrigation schemes, two new dams, and rehabilitating 11 dams through the Food/Cash for Assets activity. Assets construction, which normally starts in June, was delayed until after elections which occurred in late July. All assets which started in FY18 will be completed in Q1 of FY 19. The number of households with improved access to water for agriculture and productive use (indicator 9) is 12,655. This number will increase in FY19 once construction and rehabilitation for assets that began in FY18 is complete. Amalima has prioritized building the capacity of water user committees, also known as Asset Management Committees (AMC) for dams and irrigation schemes, to encourage proper maintenance of the assets. Amalima trained 35 garden groups and AMCs for dams on sustainable maintenance and management of water resources (Indicator 26). User groups and AMCs were also encouraged to develop user funds to support infrastructure maintenance and for the purchase of input/spares replacement. For irrigation schemes, a total of 464 people (335 female, 129 male) participated in the training which focused on building AMC and user’s skills in conducting repair and maintenance works on their sand abstraction hand pumps and garden water supply systems. Amalima, together with garden group members, conducted practical repair and maintenance works at each site which entailed the replacement of the uprooted water pipeline from the river due to turbulent waters, and the replacement of cracked Rowa pump cylinders and system fittings. At six sites with solar irrigation systems, the AMC’s and users were shown how to carry out simple maintenance checks. An environmental focus person has also been identified within each AMC to expand catchment area protections and other environmental works.

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The program is seeing committees doing active repairs and maintenance on their garden water infrastructure systems. At Siphosethu Irrigation in , for example, the AMC was able to mobilize funds to replace their solar controller unit which was struck by lightning. The 26 garden group members contributed $450 as partial payment for the control unit and are in the process of raising another $450 to complete the payment. Development and rehabilitation of irrigation schemes: Tsoalepele irrigation scheme in Gwanda was completed in FY18 in Q1 (Indicator 48). Amalima supported the farmers with the infield watering system, constructing dipping ponds, and laying water supply pipelines. Three new Cash for Assets irrigation schemes commenced after elections in August. The schemes are Didela and Ntuthuko (1ha each) in and Paswana (2.7ha) in . For each scheme, workers will construct a solar-powered sand abstraction pumping system; build irrigation fencing, carry out catchment protection, and gully reclamation works; clear the site of brush wood and stumps; and build latrines. Amalima partnered with AGRITEX, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), and the Department of Irrigation to conduct technical feasibility studies and environmental management plans for each of the three schemes. Amalima is in compliance with regulations from the Ministry of Agriculture and submitted an environmental prospectus and letters of support (on land ownership) from the local leadership to EMA. Workers assigned to heavy tasks and brick moulding wear protective clothing. A first aid kit managed by a trained Village Health Worker was issued at each site. More information on the number of workers and cash payments are listed under IR 2.1. In FY18, Amalima repaired five previously developed small scale solar powered drip irrigation schemes for crop production affected by flooding and sediment intrusion in the pumping systems: Denge (1ha), Tshoboyi (0.5ha), Mbengwa (1.3ha), Siyabalandela (0.75ha) and Bandana (1ha) Irrigation Schemes. Through ongoing monitoring, Amalima first confirmed that the garden groups were functional and able to maintain the irrigation system, and then designed and installed a new solar powered system which is also being used for the new irrigation schemes constructed through Food/Cash for Assets. The new installation is intended to minimize damaged caused by future flooding by using a well point system with an infiltration gallery or a vacuum tank at the bank of the river instead of having the submersible pump buried in the river bed. This improved system will reduce vulnerability to shifting sands in heavy flooding and make the pump more accessible for repairs. The Amalima team assessed a sixth flood-affected scheme, Vukuzenzele, and determined that the garden members had not demonstrated sufficient commitment and level of effort to justify further investment. Expectations were communicated to the committee and the scheme will be reassessed after the coming rainy season. Compliance with the Water Quality Assurance Plan – Water Quality Monitoring: In FY18, Amalima complied with the Water Quality Assurance plan by conducting quarterly water quality monitoring tests with the Department of Environmental Health at the District level. Amalima collected water samples from the 34 sites1 identified in the plan and tested for coliforms, nitrates, fluoride, mercury, pH, turbidity, total dissolved solids, and electrical conductivity. The water was of good quality and met USAID, WHO, and government of Zimbabwe (GoZ) standards for human consumption.

1 This includes boreholes for livestock watering and household use, primary health clinics, and irrigated gardens.

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IR 1.1.2 Livestock management improved Improved livestock management: Amalima works with AGRITEX, the Department of Livestock Production, and the Department of Veterinary Services to equip Amalima participants with the knowledge and skills to produce larger and healthier livestock leading to improved nutrition and food security. In FY18, Amalima paravets and Lead Farmers trained 10,909 (8,529 females, 2,380 males) farmers on breed improvement, nutrition, and animal health with emphasis on disease prevention (Indicator 24). These trainings continue to cover safe use, handling, and disposal of pesticide containers and veterinary needles. Based on the outcome survey, about 80% of livestock farmers (25,423 out of 31,519) have adopted practices promoted through the livestock management trainings (Indicator 11). Amalima districts reported on the improved adoption of livestock breed improvement practices, such as selection of replacement males and castration of the rest at a young age and the buying of locally adapted improved bucks by individuals and groups, and reported on the adoption of supplementary feeding. In Mangwe, Gwanda, and Tsholotsho, 32 individual farmers and 12 livestock groups bought Boer and Kalahari Red bucks to cross with local female breeds to increase the growth and weight of the goat kids. Some of these farmers have already begun selling the kids (4-6 months old) to neighboring farmers at prices of $100 -$150. Farmers are providing supplementary feed to their livestock by purchasing stock feed, producing fodder, and processing stover. In Bulilima and Mangwe, farmers purchased 40 metric tons of stock feed through agrodealers. In Mangwe and Gwanda, 28 individual farmers and 78 farmer groups reported growing fodder crops, such as velvet beans, lablab beans, and sunhemp to have supplementary feed for their livestock during the dry season. Two of these farmers have also built chopper devices to process stover for their flocks/herds and those of their neighbors at a fee. Amalima believes this increased uptake of growing fodder crops and processing them for supplementary feed is due to increased demand for locally available supplementary feed. While Amalima cannot be certain what caused the increased demand, it is likely a result of the economic situation which made the price of commercial supplementary feed too expensive for Amalima participants, which led to Gwanda and Mangwe farmers growing and processing feed locally. It is too early to predict whether uptake will continue and expand, however Amalima plans to continue promoting the production and processing of fodder crops through FY19 Paravets collaborating with government to offer veterinary services to farmers: Amalima-trained and equipped paravets continued to provide services such as vaccination, castration, and deworming to individual farmers, for fees ranging between $0.50 to $1. The paravets work together with lead farmers and VACs, encouraging farmers to purchase necessary veterinary drugs and stock feeds through the VACs to improve the health of farmers’ livestock. In FY18, Amalima gave refresher trainings to 106 Amalima-trained paravets (21 females, 85 males) focusing on disease prevention strategies, kit use and maintenance, and the correct and safe disposal of veterinary waste to minimize cross-contamination and disease. During the trainings, Amalima also encouraged paravets to link with other Amalima volunteers (Lead Farmers and VACs), input suppliers, and relevant GoZ departments. One of the challenges identified is poor record keeping by the Amalima-trained paravets on the number of services provided to farmers and hence income earned. To address this challenge, Amalima has developed a recordkeeping template which will be distributed in FY19. Another challenge identified is the low adoption of improved livestock management practices by farmers, which reduces the demand for paravet services. This challenge is being addressed by the introduction of VACs in FY18 who identify

November 2018 7 Amalima CNFA FFP-A-13-00004 gaps in adoption of promoted behaviors and support behavior change. Since the introduction of VACs, Amalima has witnessed an improved uptake and supply of veterinary drugs primarily for the prevention and treatment of livestock diseases. In FY18, 16 Amalima paravets (12 males, 4 females) were recruited by the GoZ to participate in government led vaccination programs controlling the spread of Newcastle disease in poultry and rabies in dogs. This shows the level of confidence that the GoZ has in Amalima trained and outfitted paravets. The GoZ does not pay paravets for providing such services, however paravets have taken this opportunity to market their services beyond Amalima participants. Such relationships will ensure the long-term sustainability of Amalima promoted behaviors and technologies.

IR 1.1.3 Soil fertility and soil moisture improved and IR 1.1.4 Cultivation of a diverse range of improved crop varieties by male and female agricultural producers increased Increased support role of VACs: Starting in Q4 of FY17, Amalima identified and trained 389 high performing lead farmers to become VACs. The VAC role was developed as part of the Amalima sustainability plan in order to: 1. organize and strengthen links between farmers and the government agricultural extension system and private sector; 2. Reduce the role of Amalima field officers in cascaded trainings, and 3. promote the uptake of recommended behaviors and technologies. In practice VACs are also addressing the need for inputs, primarily improved seeds and vaccines, by organizing group purchases among farmers in the community. While VACs were not intended to serve as village-based input agents, this role is in line with the purpose of VACs to identify and address barriers to adoption of Amalima-promoted practices. VACs bring together farmer groups and paravets, take orders and collect money from farmers, and then select someone to purchase and bring back the ordered items. VACs are not just bringing together farmer groups to improve access to inputs, but also aggregating farmers’ produce for output markets. VACs brought together farmers interested in selling surplus grain and coordinated delivering the grain at a central point on an agreed date to the Grain Marketing Board. In Tsholotsho, 51 farmers (21 female, 30 male) delivered 14.39 tons of sorghum, 45.64 tons of maize, 5.12 tons of pearl millet, and 0.26 tons of ground nuts for a total value of $25,569. Amalima continues to work closely with AGRITEX to ensure that VACs can remain active even after program closeout, including facilitating VACs’ participation in the AGRITEX Master Farmer training program. Improving access to and use of quality agro-inputs: The program continued to promote access to agricultural inputs, including improved varieties, certified seeds, and registered drought tolerant seeds and stock feeds through input fairs and sales by project trained/vetted agrodealers. Private sector input suppliers also demonstrated and sold their inputs during Amalima Days. Farmers purchased over 16MT of improved small grains and pulses seeds through Household Asset Vouchers (HHAV), and an additional $3,094 of agro-inputs through cash purchases at HHAV redemption fairs and at Amalima days. In FY18, 27 agrodealers (10 female, 17 male) established formal relationships with input suppliers (Indicator 16), and 29 input fairs were conducted by input suppliers with support from Amalima (Indicator 19). Stock feeds have proven to be a popular Amalima-promoted input with farmers and a total of 62 MT was delivered through input fairs. Amalima also encouraged farmers to purchase agricultural inputs in advance. A total of 7,636 (6,338 females, 1,298 males) farmers purchased locally-adapted

November 2018 8 Amalima CNFA FFP-A-13-00004 certified seeds in advance through agrodealers (Indicator 15). Farmers purchased seed valued at $5,297 and stock feeds valued at $16,392 (Indicator 18) through agrodealers. As noted above, Amalima-trained VACs also addressed the need for inputs, primarily improved seeds and vaccines. Within the last two quarters, VACs sold $2,762 worth of horticulture seed, veterinary, and crop chemicals to 484 people (218 female 266 male). These input supply initiatives are meant to support Amalima’s gender strategy by improving easier access to a variety of improved inputs so that women have more time to spend on a variety of productive activities and childcare. Conservation Agriculture (CA): CA plays an important role in addressing environmental challenges by reducing the risk of soil erosion, siltation of river systems, and reducing soil moisture loss. CA through crop rotation also reduces the chances of pests and disease outbreaks (among closely related plants). In FY18, Amalima volunteer Lead Farmers and VACs trained 11,426 (9,226 females, 2,200 males) dry-land farmers in CA, in collaboration with AGRITEX and Zimplow (Indicator 24). The trainings were village-level to minimize the distance participants, especially women, must walk to attend the trainings and were limited to four hours to reduce the time burden. During these trainings, Amalima continues to encourage mechanized CA implements to reduce the labor burden of women and allow for timely land preparation and planting with the first effective rains. Over 34,000 hectares have been committed to small grains and over 7,000 households grew improved small grain seed. (Indicator 21 and 22). Over 48,000 farmers adopted improved technologies that include use of improved seed, soil and water conservation, pest and disease management, and other cultural practices (Indicator 11). A total of 27,162 producers (23,508 females, 3,654 males) grew a crop combination rich in energy proteins and vitamins (Indicator 23). Irrigated crop production: In FY18, Amalima in collaboration with AGRITEX trained 4,288 (3,527 females, 761 males) horticulture farmers in the production of healthy, nutrient rich vegetables, including leafy greens, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, sugar beans, carrots, squash, onions, tomatoes, and green mealies (Indicator 24). The trainings for irrigated crop production focus on crop selection, the cropping calendar, integrated pest management, and proper handling of chemicals for pest and disease control. All trainings were held at garden level to allow practical demonstrations on live crops and ensure that participants, who are mainly women, do not have to walk long distances to attend. Production of irrigated crops increased significantly over previous years, although the economic crisis and poor dryland harvests led to higher percentages of all crops being consumed rather than sold compared to FY17. As noted, irrigated maize yields were affected by fall army worm (FAW) infestation. Amalima provided trainings and training materials to all irrigation schemes on FAW management, as well as regular monitoring and guidance, which almost certainly helped mitigate the impacts of FAW. FAW is a very destructive pest, however, that is difficult and expensive to eradicate. IR 1.2 Agricultural marketing improved Access to key productive assets and finance combined with business and market skills empowers farmers to participate and/or be integrated into competitive value chains. Private sector participation in Amalima activities enables farmers and other value chain actors to build sustainable relationships.

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IR 1.2.1 Business skills improved for men and women Improved capacity of farmers for market linkages: In FY18, Amalima continued training farmers on Farming as a Business (FaaB) focusing mainly on business planning, cash flow management, and marketing (including meat grading and pricing). The program trained 6,137 farmers (5,002 females, 1,135 males) on FaaB principles (Indicator 24). Amalima also developed and distributed Horticulture Record books to aid farmers to better track their sales, expenses, and net income. Some Amalima-supported irrigations schemes are showing adoption of FaaB principles. For example, Sontulana garden in Tsholotsho sold kale, tomatoes, and onion making a gross profit of $1,665 and Dingulwazi garden in Tsholotsho sold kale, onions, green pepper, and sugar beans making a gross profit of $841. Throughout FY18 the unstable economic environment has limited opportunities for farmers to access finance and input and product markets. IR 1.2.2 Business assets improved for men and women Household Asset Vouchers: The HHAV activity increases households’ and communities’ access to agricultural assets and improved seeds. In previous years Amalima provided fully funded vouchers worth $150 to selected households. In FY18, as part of Amalima’s sustainability strategy, HHAVs were offered as subsidized vouchers for advance purchase. Vouchers were available for 12 baskets of items that include mechanized CA implements as well as improved seed varieties being promoted through Amalima’s agricultural trainings. Amalima training participants were eligible to purchase one large basket and one seed basket as listed in Table 1.2.2.. Amalima did not receive money from beneficiaries. Vouchers were purchased over a period of 2-3 weeks at local agrodealers using mobile money, into an account directly linked to input suppliers. The agrodealers then hosted one-day redemption fairs, monitored by Amalima, where the input suppliers delivered the purchased items, and both agrodealers and input suppliers also offered additional unsubsidized items for cash sales. After reconciliation of voucher purchases and deliveries, Amalima then paid the balance directly to the input suppliers. The activity was initially piloted in Tsholotsho in Q3 and implemented in the remaining three districts in Q4, in a total of 31 wards. While stated demand for the items offered in the HHAV program was high, actual willingness and ability of Amalima farmers to purchase advance vouchers was unknown. In practice demand greatly exceed expectations. A total of 3,218 people (2,710 females, 508 males) paid $153,630 for vouchers, purchasing 697 plows with ripper tine attachments, over 430,000 meters of barbed wire, 1,122 wheelbarrows, 1,362 hoes, 681 shovels, and over 16MT of improved small grains and pulses seeds.2 The total cost to Amalima was $238,837. This overwhelming response demonstrates the willingness of Amalima farmers to invest in productive assets, an interest in and adoption of mechanized CA, interest in increasing hectarage under small grains, and an ability of farmers to access funds, especially through village saving and lending (VS&L) groups (over 60% of purchasers were VS&L members). It is perhaps also indicative of the uncertain financial climate, and the understandable desire to convert money into durable assets while it still has value. All items were received by the end of September, allowing participants adequate lead time for the coming planting season.

2 Multiple people within a household were eligible to purchase vouchers, as long as the individual was an Amalima participant. While the total number of people that received vouchers was 3,218, the total number of households that received vouchers was 2,866 (Indicator 35),

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Table 1.2.2.1: FY18 Subsidized voucher baskets Total Amalima Participant Description Basket price contribution contribution

HHAV-1 Complete plow with ripper tyne attachment $175 $108 62% $67 38% 5 kg of improved millet or sorghum seed HHAV-2 50 kg of barbed wire 5 kg of improved millet or $157 $82 52% $75 48% sorghum seed HHAV-3 Wheelbarrow with a concrete base $79 $50 63% $29 37% 5 kg of improved millet or sorghum seed HHAV-4 Two hoes and one round nosed shovel $44 $29 66% $15 34% 5 kg of improved millet or sorghum seed HHAV-5 2 kg of CB2 cowpeas $6.5 $4.5 69% $2 31%

HHAV-6 5 kg of CB2 cowpeas $12 $7 58% $5 42% 2 kg of Natal Common HHAV-7 $9 $6 67% $3 33% groundnuts 5 kg of Natal Common HHAV-8 $20 $12 60% $8 40% groundnuts HHAV-9 2 kg of Okashana millet $5.5 $4.5 82% $1 18%

HHAV-10 5 kg of Okashana millet $11 $9 82% $2 18%

HHAV-11 2 kg of Marcia sorghum $5.5 $4.5 82% $1 18%

HHAV-12 5 kg of Marcia sorghum $11 $9 82% $2 18%

Matching grants: Amalima awarded nine grants to Amalima producer groups to scale up their income generating activities. All groups used their VS&L funds as their matching contribution. Amalima awarded grants to two goat breeding projects and seven indigenous poultry groups for a total Amalima contribution of $12,866 (Indicator 36). Hanani Goat project, Mangwe: Awarded in Q1, the grant funded a livestock breeding and learning center where farmers can bring female goats to mate with an improved buck for a fee. The center promotes improved livestock practices, such as model goat housing, nutrition, and disease management. One of the members is a trained paravet responsible for disease management and environmental issues. Construction of a goat house with the capacity for 50

November 2018 11 Amalima CNFA FFP-A-13-00004 female goats was completed and a Kalahari buck introduced to the flock in Q2. The project currently has a total of 86 goats comprising 54 does, 14 weaners, and 18 kids. Sibambene Goat project, Gwanda: Awarded in Q2, Amalima contributed $1,582 for the purchase of construction materials for a 50-female goat breeding unit, which the group matched with $1,570 cash to purchase 30 breeding females, locally available materials (bricks and pit sand), and labor for construction. Construction of the goat structure was completed in the 3rd quarter and currently houses 71 goats. Of the 30 does bought, 5 kidded and 3 are pregnant from the improved Boer buck that the group already had at the time of the grant award. Metbank- Indigenous Poultry groups, Gwanda: In Q3, seven groups comprising of 50 farmers (41 females, 9 males) from Gwanda district were awarded matching grants to construct standard poultry housing facilities to join an indigenous poultry contract farming scheme being implemented by a local commercial bank (Metbank P/L). The groups contributed $13,884, and Amalima contributed $9,563. Amalima then signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding with Metbank and National Organic Produce, an indigenous poultry rearing company, to work with farmers under a contract farming scheme for indigenous poultry production. All seven groups completed the construction of the housing structures in early July, however, the delivery of chicks provided by MetBank and National Organic Produce was delayed for well over a month, and when delivered, the chicks experienced high mortality rates due to a suspected disease outbreak. The Department of Veterinary Services has been engaged to investigate the cause of the mortalities, and Metbank and National Organic Produce have pledged to replace the dead chicks once cause of the death has been established. Amalima is also continuing to monitor previous grant recipients from prior to FY18 (see table below for more detail on current and previous year grants). Most have been able to expand their activities beyond the matching grants. For example, the Mahabangombe garden group of 32 members (26 females, 6 males) was awarded a grant at the end of FY17 for drilling and equipping a borehole. The 40m deep borehole was equipped with a bush pump that yields one litre per second and can irrigate a one-hectare garden for a whole year. A reliable water supply has enabled the farmers to extend their horticulture production and marketing from eight months to year-round and has also increased the number of crops planted during the dry season to four crops (green maize, carrots, beetroot, and kale). At the close of FY18, the garden had realized a total of $2,592 in revenue from vegetable sales, compared to $1,618 realized during the same period last year. The group has already channeled a portion of their funds towards constructing a borehole apron (costing $70) and a latrine (costing $530) and plans to extend their garden from 0.33 ha to 0.5 ha within the next two years.

Table 1.2.2.2: Progress of Grants Activities

Name of Funding Grantee Amalima’s Project Activity Grantee Tier Match Match

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Michview Tier 2 $3,000 $3,000 Project: Aggregation and marketing Enterprises P/L /small livestock (goats and sheep) Status: Purchased 102 slaughter stock (90 goats and 12 sheep) from 57 farmers (26 females, 31 male) in Q3 FY17. Grantee has continued to purchase both breeding and slaughter stock from Gwanda district to supply other external markets. In Q2 FY18 Amalima collaborated with Mitchview Enterprises and conducted a private goat fair. Thirty Amalima trained farmers supplied 69 breeding bucks valued at $2,760 from the total 150 goats bought by Michview P/L. The goats were supplied to a FAO/LFSP program in the .

Izenzo Tier 1 $1,600 $2,000 Project: Post-harvest technology Kungemazwi /purchase a small grains thresher machine Threshing group to provide threshing services in their community. Traditional methods for threshing are labor-intensive and time- consuming, and mainly conducted by women. Status: Delays in procurement of suitable machine locally resulted in group missing peak threshing period of June to August. A machine was procured in June 2018 and the grantee went on to provide threshing services in the Tsholotsho community. At the close of the season, the group had managed to thresh over 24.8 tons of small grains and maize for 45 households, generating a revenue of $815. Izenzo group had targeted to thresh 84 tons for 300 households during this season with projected revenue of $2,880 from both threshing charges and booking fees. Poor cereal crop harvests in the 2017/18 agricultural season impacted the amount of demand for threshing services in the 2018 season.

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Mahabangombe Tier 1 $3,000 $2,975 Project: Horticultural production and Garden group marketing. Status: The group’s 40m deep borehole was equipped with a bush pump that yields one liter per second and can irrigate a one-hectare garden for a whole year. A reliable water supply has enabled the farmers to extend their horticulture production and marketing from eight months per year to year-round and has also increased the number of crops planted during the dry season to four crops (green maize, carrots, beetroot, and kale). At the close of FY18, the garden had realized a total of $2,592 in revenue from vegetable sales, compared to $1,618 realized during the same period last year. The group has already channeled a portion of their funds towards constructing a borehole apron (costing $70) and a latrine (costing $530) and plans to extend their garden from 0.33 ha to 0.5 ha within the next two years.

Sibambene Tier 1 $628 $601 Project: Agrodealership/Agro-Inputs Agrodealership supply. Grant used to stock crop and livestock inputs. Status: The grant funds were used to stock inputs. A sales review for Q1 FY19 shows total revenue of $1,020 and profit of $826, which is an increase over the profit of $688 realized during the same period last year. Sales and profit are expected to further improve during Q2 FY19 as demand for dosing and vaccination medicines increases during the rainy season.

Hanani Goat Tier 1 $1,723 $1,722 Project: Goat production and breeding. Project Status: The project initially had a total of 36 goats composed of 1 mixed local breed buck, 16 does, 4 weaners, and 15 male kids. Stock has increased and the

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project currently has a total of 87 goats including 1 pure breed Kalahari Red buck, 54 does, 14 weaners, and 18 kids. Eight of the does are confirmed pregnant from the new buck, and six of the kids are an improved breed from the new Kalahari buck.

Thembisa Goat Tier 1 $1,385 $1,236 Project: Goat production and breeding. project Status: The project initially had a total of 39 goats including two mixed local breed bucks, 25 does, seven weaners, and five kids. Stock has increased and the project currently has a total of 61 goats including one pure breed Kalahari Red buck, 44 does, 12 weaners, and 10 kids. Four of the does are confirmed pregnant from the new improved Kalahari buck.

Met Bank Tier 1 $13.884 $9,562 Project: Indigenous poultry production. Poultry projects Status: The project includes seven groups with a total of 50 farmers (41 females, 9 males) from Gwanda district. The farmers have received training and are now participating in organized fairs such as ADRA fairs. In Q2 FY18, the groups sold 210 indigenous chickens valued at $1,616 at these ADRA fairs. Current stock is being marketed to local VS&L groups into poultry IGAs as breeding stock.

IR 1.2.3 Market Linkages Improved for Men and Women The project has observed that Amalima-trained farmers participating in livestock auctions are exhibiting improved negotiation skills and getting higher prices as compared to previous years. From the fifteen auctions monitored, a total of 97 farmers sold 81 cattle and 47 goats for a total value of $43,298. Amalima has also linked farmers previously trained in livestock management and improved breed management to Michview Enterprises, who purchased 123 improved breeding stock goats from smallholder farmers for $4,650. Ntepe pen fattening group in Gwanda had three cycles with a total of 41 steers and made a net income of $4,435. In most cases, pen fattening groups sold directly to butcheries who were offering better returns than abattoirs. Most livestock sales in FY18 were through the informal markets, however 45% of large stock (5,831 cattle) and 21% of small stock (6,632 goats) were sold through formal market systems

November 2018 15 Amalima CNFA FFP-A-13-00004

(Indicator 31 and 32). While Amalima promotes the understanding of formal markets and ability to make decisions based on market information, the cash crisis in Zimbabwe has severely constrained formal markets. Businesses struggle to access cash (USD or bond) to make payments for agricultural purchases, which dissuades many small farmers, who prefer cash to mobile money or bank transfer, from selling to formal markets. Informal markets for livestock appear to be comparatively thriving in Amalima districts, which is likely a function of both access to South African Rand and remittances, and increased demand as rural people wish to acquire livestock as a hedge against financial uncertainty. While the percentages of both small and large stock sold through formal markets significantly decreased compared to FY17, the overall quantity of sales and average price received by Amalima sellers was higher for both cattle and goats. IR 1.3 Post harvest losses reduced Appropriate Post-Harvest Handling reduces food losses and retains quality of agriculture products for consumption throughout the year and adds value to maximize income from marketed produce.

Post-Harvest Handling (PHH): Amalima continues to incorporate PHH into CA, irrigated horticulture, livestock management, and Care Group Healthy Harvest trainings to take advantage of opportunities when training participants are already gathered together to discuss related topics. Field crop PHH training takes place during CA trainings and covers timely harvesting, safe transportation, shelling, threshing, decay and insect control, temperature and humidity control, improved quality control practices, sorting, and grading. Horticulture PHH trainings include constructing sheds to reduce temperatures of harvested crops, sorting, blanching, and packing. During this year, Amalima integrated training on the PHH of animal- based products. This new training focused on the drying of meat, storage of eggs, and processing of milk. In collaboration with Lead Farmers, Lead Mothers, AGRITEX, and the Department of Mechanization, Amalima Field Officers trained 10,177 community members (8,321 females, 1,856 males) in PHH (Indicator 24). Over 38,000 farmers applied improved post-harvest handling practices during the year (Indicator 11).

Strategic Objective 2: Community resilience to shocks improved IR 2.1 Agricultural basic infrastructure and other production assets developed/rehabilitated Community productive assets (dams, dip tanks, irrigation schemes as prioritized by the community’s disaster risk reduction plan) increase agricultural productivity, livestock viability, and enhance community resilience to climatic and economic shocks. Production of assets through Food/Cash for Assets (F/CFA) contributes to the livelihoods of vulnerable households by providing workers with cash or food. During FY18, the program completed one asset (garden) initiated in FY17, started work on new assets, and prioritized catchment area protection works. As noted above, asset construction was delayed until Q4 of FY18, following elections held in late July. Amalima started work on 24 assets during the year: 13 dams (2 new, 11 rehabs), eight dip tanks (rehab), and three new irrigation schemes. Workers are protecting a total of 247 hectares of catchment area from erosion through gully reclamation, and putting up stone, sand, and vegetation barriers (Indicator 52). These conservation works are led by community members

November 2018 16 Amalima CNFA FFP-A-13-00004 trained by Amalima in disaster risk reduction and grazing land management. Amalima reviews previously constructed assets after each rainy season and works with Asset Management Committees and DRR committees to mobilize community members and complete any required additional catchment area works. In the case of new weir dams, Amalima engineers oversee any required reinforcement works (generally downstream of spillways), re-plastering, or catchment works identified after the first season of the dam spilling and holding water. A total of 2,915 workers (1,682 female, 1,233 male) participated3 in F/CFA during the year (Indicator 45). The program paid community workers either with food (60kg sorghum plus 10 kg lentils) or $30 per 15 work day cycle.4 In FY18 Q1, 1,746 (983 female, 763 male) were compensated with 280 MT (240 MT of sorghum, 40 MT of lentils) of food for work completed in FY17 and the beginning of FY18. In Q4, a total of 1,169 workers (699 female, 470 male) received cash payments totaling $33,275 (Indicator 45). Note that an additional 2,685 workers (1,621 females, 1,064 males) were active in late in Q4 but had not yet received payment by the end of the FY, so are not included in FY18 results. Additional information on cash for assets payments is included in the Actuals Table in the cross-cutting section below. The program takes environmental risks into consideration when selecting, designing, and implementing work on assets. Amalima conducts environmental assessments of all proposed assets with representatives from AGRITEX, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), and officers from the Rural District Council to ensure that short-term gains in livelihoods improvements are in alignment with long-term environmental sustainability. Environmental Prospectus for the two new dams were developed and submitted to EMA together with the designs and motivation letters from the communities signed by the local leadership. At both dam sites, the construction plan was made to ensure no trees will be cut during construction, no heavy machinery is used, and sand traps are being constructed upstream to protect the dams from siltation. Table 2.1: FY18 Assets Asset Type # Workers Activities Comment/Status

Assets initiated in FY 17, carried over into FY18

Garden 1 138 Upgraded the water conveyance system; Complete rehabilitation constructed dipping wells and fenced the (116 F, garden 22 M)

FY18 assets

New Dam 2 491 Constructing dam wall and spillway; Not Complete. Construction constructing sand traps and conducting Work ongoing in (258 F, catchment area protection works FY19 at all sites 233 M)

3 Defined as having received payment 4 The program increased the quantity from 50 kg to 60 kg of sorghum in January due to a high level of extraneous matter; at the same time, the program also added lentils to provide a protein.

November 2018 17 Amalima CNFA FFP-A-13-00004

Dam rehabilitation 11 1,922 Reconstructed spillway; strengthened Not Complete. dam wall; reconstructed breached earth Work ongoing in (1,175 F, dam wall sections; scooped Dam FY19 at all sites 747 M)

Dip tank 8 1,116 Constructed roofing with iron sheets, Not Complete. rehabilitation plugged leaking plunge pool, constructed Work ongoing in (679 F, dipping attendant shed, race, holding FY19 at all sites 437 M) pen, soak away, latrine, and dripping pen works and catchment area protection. Reconstructed pens.

Irrigation scheme 3 325 Cleared site; collected locally available Not Complete. development materials; catchment area protection Work ongoing in (208 F, works.5 FY19 at all sites 117 M)

CFA market surveys and post distribution monitoring: Amalima conducts surveys on the availability and pricing of basic food commodities at market centers closest to CFA sites to determine whether it is acceptable for Amalima to compensate workers with $2/day of work rather than with food. Amalima distributed market surveys at business centers near CFA sites in August and October. These surveys found that there was a minimal change in pricing between August and October and food remained available at all sites. In real terms the beneficiaries’ purchasing power increased, as they were paid in USD, whose value steadily increased against the local bond note, in which prices are set. After making CFA payments, Amalima conducts post distribution monitoring to understand the role of CFA in providing short term income relief to food insecure households during the lean season. Post distribution monitoring for CFA will be done in the first quarter of FY19 because of the late start to CFA construction and rehabilitation.

AMC training: Amalima recognizes the need to build the capacity of AMCs to ensure they are able to properly maintain and manage the assets built through the F/CFA activity. During FY18, Amalima trained 24 AMCs on management of assets to equip them to detect damage, mobilize resources to purchase required parts, and seek technical assistance from relevant GoZ departments as needed. An environmental focal person was trained per AMC to attend to environmental issues. One dam AMC that participated in an exchange visit mobilized 126 community members to protect 19 ha from erosion within the dam catchment area. As described in IR 1.1.1, AMCs have already begun to implement the management practices on which they have been trained. There are however some AMCs that still need support to establish a maintenance fund and to finalize their constitutions. Other challenges noted during FY18 include AMC members lack of capacity to conduct thorough assessments, mobilizing the financial resources necessary for repairs, and challenges in engaging Government of Zimbabwe extension officers for technical advice and support. During FY19, Amalima continues to

5 This Cash for Assets work complements the technical irrigation work being done as mentioned in IR 1.1.1.

November 2018 18 Amalima CNFA FFP-A-13-00004 monitor AMCs and is conducting refresher trainings with new training materials to strengthen the capacity of AMCs in sustainably managing their assets. The Amalima learning unit is also conducting a review of the challenges facing AMCs across different types of assets, with recommendations for implementation. IR 2.2 Community social capital leveraged Improving the capacity of communities to pool their resources through saving and lending as groups enables them to acquire productive assets, access capital for income generating investments, and enhances their abilities to adapt to shocks. I.R. 2.2.1 Access to savings improved, particularly for women VS&L plays a critical role in providing community groups access to funds to achieve Amalima objectives and improve livelihoods. During FY18, 96% of Amalima’s VS&L members (6,165 out of 6,419) from the previous year continued their participation in VS&L activities (Indicator 55). Mobilization for new members in FY18 resulted in 913 new members joining VS&L groups reaching 7,078 (6,433 females, 645 males) in membership (Indicator 55). In FY18, another108 new groups were formed, increasing the number of groups to 810 from 702 that continued from FY17 (Indicator 57). This participation strengthens community social cohesion while empowering women economically and socially. Despite the economic crisis, VS&L groups were able to use their funds to purchase HHAVs, provide necessary matches in cash for matching grants, access to funds to increase productive assets, and use loans to invest in household income generation activities. Amalima participants purchased livestock, improved inputs, farm implements, food, flood proof housing, and latrines through VS&L. Amalima has been using the cluster model to mobilize people to form new VS&L groups and to encourage collaboration and support across VS&Ls. To continue improving the quality of service delivery, three refresher courses were conducted for 76 (74 females, 2 males) cluster facilitators. The training focused on roles and responsibilities, the VS&L methodology, development of a constitution, record keeping, and group fund development. Cluster facilitators were also encouraged to work with community volunteers, such as paravets, Care Group Volunteers, and VACs, and other groups to explain how VS&L can be used as a tool to access finances and build sustainability by these linkages. In addition, as part of the sustainability strategy, Amalima trained 60 (30 females, 30 males) ward-based GoZ staff on the VS&L methodology and the role cluster facilitators within VS&L. Participants included Environmental Health Technicians, AGRITEX, Vet Department, and Department of Women Affairs. Despite the economic hardships that the country is facing, VS&L members continued to save on a monthly basis, being motivated by the benefits that they are realizing from VS&L activities. Value of savings in FY18 increased by 23% from FY17 savings. A total of $320,480 was saved in FY18, against $249,134 saved in FY17 (Indicator 56). This was a result of a combination of factors that included cluster meetings, fund raising events, and the self-motivated members who have seen the importance of acquiring productive assets and income at the household level. In addition, VS&L funds are supporting participation in all three SOs. The Amalima Learning Unit conducted a study to see if and how VS&L funds were being used to support Amalima- promoted activities in communities. The most common expenditures from 2017 share-outs were small livestock (24%); improved resilience and hygiene-enabling infrastructure, including flood proof housing and latrines (15%); agricultural inputs and implements (15%); and

November 2018 19 Amalima CNFA FFP-A-13-00004 investments into group income generating activities (14%). Loans taken out by individual members throughout the year are primarily used to fund income generating activities (usually petty trading), earnings from which support general household expenses such as food, medication, and school fees. IR 2.3: Community-managed disaster risk reduction systems strengthened Communities that actively plan and prepare for challenges and manage their natural resources are more resilient and more likely to maintain food security gains in the face of shocks Disaster Risk Reduction: Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) committees develop and revise DRR plans, identify risks, conduct risk mapping, and develop mitigation responses at ward and village levels. DRR committees also lead the process of prioritizing and selecting assets for work under the F/CFA activity through a community-level, participatory process. In collaboration with the Civil Protection Unit6, Amalima conducted the annual refresher training of 63 ward-level DRR committees that went on to train 230 village-level DRR committees on disaster preparedness. Of these, 118 village-level DRR committees developed or revised DRR plans and trained a total of 7,943 (6,088 females, 1,855 males) community members on DRR principles and processes (Indicator 58). All the 230 village-level DRR committees were trained on grazing land management and natural resources management to enable them to better protect their grazing lands from erosion and problem plants. In a bid to improve grazing land management, Amalima held consultation meetings with government stakeholders (district and province), traditional leaders, councilors. and some chairpersons of DRR and grazing committees. The meetings were attended by over 200 participants who confirmed the importance of improving rangelands as a whole and made a commitment to support rangeland management work for the purpose of improving grazing and better managing ground and surface water. The table below provides a full list of activities completed by village- level DRR committees in FY18. Table 2.3: Village DRR activities District Activities

Gwanda Four villages worked on three dams accessed by over 4,000 cattle by de-silting, dam wall clearing of vegetation, and 6 ha were protected from erosion. Four villages rehabilitated 15 km of roads and a bridge that links farmers to markets. Fifteen villages reclaimed gullies protecting 330 ha of grazing lands from erosion Bulilima Ten villages worked on nine dams accessed by over 14,000 cattle were rehabilitated through de-silting, dam wall clearing of vegetation, and 22 ha were protected from erosion One village excavated a deep well accessed by over 1,000 cattle Five villages removed problem plant, Lantana camara on 21 ha Two villages constructed fire guard protection for 30 ha Eleven villages reclaimed gullies protecting 75 ha from erosion

6 Members of the Civil Protection Unit include: EMA, RDC, AGRITEX, DLPD, and DVS.

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Mangwe Five villages worked on four dams accessed by over 600 cattle that were rehabilitated through de-silting, dam wall clearing, and catchment area protection of 37 ha from erosion. One village rehabilitated a water source accessed by over 400 cattle. Seven villages reclaimed gullies protecting 77 ha from erosion. Four villages removed problem plants, L. camara and Opuntia sp on 20 ha. One village protected 18 ha from veld fire through construction of a fire guard. Two villages rehabilitated 6 km of paddock fence. Two villages repaired a dip tank accessed by over 500 cattle. Tsholotsho Forty-three villages are working on 27 dams accessed by over 13,500 cattle and constructing a dam accessed by over 2,500 cattle. Ten villages pruned trees, constructed fire guards and removed L. camara on 191 ha. During FY18, ward/village DRR committees disseminated information on cholera, veld fires, frost, heat stress, fall armyworm, and weather forecasts for the 2018/2019 agricultural season. This was done at Amalima gatherings and also through the WhatsApp platform. In Bulilima, the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) and Amalima held cholera alert campaigns with CFA workers. MoHCC distributed aqua tablets to treat water accessed by the workers. In Gwanda, Amalima collaborated with EMA to train firefighting groups to save pastures from veld fires. Farmers are being advised to increase planting of drought tolerant crops (which increased from 14,096 hectares in FY17 to 20,334 hectares in FY18 [Indicator 10]), practice CA, stagger planting, manage pests such as FAW and stalk borer, de-silt dams and remove vegetation from dam walls, plant fodder crops, and market livestock when still in good condition to realize good returns which can be invested in survival stock feed. Strategic Objective 3: Nutrition and health among pregnant and lactating women (PLW); and boys and girls under 2 improved

IR 3.1 Consumption of diverse and sufficient foods for pregnant and lactating women; and boys and girls under 2 improved Not only is it necessary that families consume sufficient food, but also have a diverse diet to prevent malnutrition. This is especially true for the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, when the provision of sufficient, diverse food is critical for prevention of stunting. Supplementary feeding ration distributions: Amalima continued to distribute monthly supplementary feeding rations7 to PLW and children under two years (CU2) through 59 Primary Health Centers (PHCs) and 28 secondary food distribution points (FDPs). During FY18, Amalima distributed 145,087 food baskets to CU2 and 74,506 food baskets to PLWs. A total of 21,273 PLWs received food rations (Indicator 65) and 30,788 CU2 received food rations (Indicator 66).

7 The supplementary feeding ration consists of: 5.5 kgs of Corn Soya Blend Plus (CSB+) and 1.38 kgs of fortified vegetable oil per month for PLWs; and 3 kgs of CSB+ and 0.92 kgs of oil per month for children 6-23 months.

November 2018 21 Amalima CNFA FFP-A-13-00004

A total of 409 MT of CSB+ and 102 MT of vegetable oil were distributed to PLWs and 435 MT of CSB+ and 133 MT of vegetable oil were distributed to CU2 (Table 3.1). After consultation with USAID, Amalima also distributed 7 MT of lentils and 36 MT of sorghum to the most food insecure districts – Bulilima, Mangwe, and Tsholotsho - in April.

Table 3.1: Commodities Distributed in FY18 Total Food Baskets Distributed Quantities Distributed

CSB Veg. Oil Lentils Sorghum Total PLWs Boys Girls Total (MT) (MT) (MT) (MT) (MT) PLW Ration 74,506 74,506 409.37 102.65 1.43 9.87 523.32 CU2 74,576 70,711 145,087 435.48 133.26 5.20 26.02 599.96 Ration Total 74,506 74,576 70,711 219,593 844.85 235.92 6.63 35.89 1,123.28

Post distribution monitoring at Food Distribution Points: Amalima conducts monthly post distribution monitoring at nine food distribution points each month. There are three sites in Tsholotsho and two sites in Bulilima, Mangwe and Gwanda. Findings from the monitoring in FY18 is consistent with findings from previous years: commodity recipients are aware of how much commodity they receive and respondents are satisfied with the quality and condition of the food basket. In line with previous years, findings show that at least 38% of households shared their ration with family members that are not the intended recipient. This intra household sharing is largely reported in households with additional children under five and the most common reason cited is that it is culturally unacceptable to prepare a meal specifically for one child and leave out other young children in the same household. During this fiscal year, Amalima used the post distribution monitoring survey to conduct monitoring at the household level as part of the Learning Unit. The study sought to verify responses by ration recipients at FDPs. For example, beyond asking recipients at the FDP if ration sharing occurred and if the ration recipient was receiving the recommended amounts, the study lead could measure the remaining CSB+ and fortified vegetable oil in the household to determine if it was being used at an expected rate. The report is currently being finalized and findings will be included in the FY20 Quarter 2 report.

Commodity management: In December 0.4MT of CSB and 0.3MT of sorghum was spoiled by rain, which leaked into the warehouse with the first heavy rains. The USAID Mission approved the disposal of the spoiled commodities at the Bulawayo Council dumpsite in February 2018. The commodities were buried deep enough to avoid germination and thoroughly mixed in the soil to discourage scavenging. The disposal process was witnessed by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, Zimbabwe Republic Police, USAID Mission, MoHCC officials, and Amalima staff.

Social Behavior Change Communication at Ration Distributions: Amalima uses ration distributions to reinforce key nutrition and health messages from Care Group sessions as well as Lead Mother

November 2018 22 Amalima CNFA FFP-A-13-00004 home visits to all PLWs and care givers being supported by Amalima. About 50% of ration recipients are not participants of Care Groups, so the SBCC sessions provide a platform to share the key messages that are presented in the Care Group sessions while also reinforcing messages presented in Care Group meetings to existing Care Group participants. These sessions are part of a larger behavior change intervention to present good health and hygiene practices in a fun and entertaining way. This year a primary focus of the edutainment sessions was on male involvement in infant and young child nutrition, with an emphasis also on their involvement in the ration distribution process. Props such as wigs and costumes made the sessions more engaging and fun. Care Group members utilized the Amalima Day platform to share key messages on optimal health, nutrition, and hygiene through roleplays, song, and dance.

IR 3.1.1.1: Knowledge and skills on diverse crops by PLWs and caregivers improved Healthy Harvest Training: Through Healthy Harvest activities, households are trained to produce nutritious foods with minimal use of pesticides, and applying compost and kraal manure, rear adapted small livestock, and adopt recommended harvesting and preservation technologies including sun drying and blanching. The Healthy Harvest training strengthens the link between nutrition and agriculture and is used by beneficiaries to produce nutritious foods using practices promoted by Lead Farmers. In FY18, Amalima reached a total of 11,887 people (10,720 females, 1,167 males) and the trainings were delivered by Care Group Volunteers (CGV), and Lead Mothers (LM) and extended to the male champions and their peers (Indicator 67). In FY18, for the first time, male champions and their peers took part in the Healthy Harvest trainings. The participation of male champions and peers in the healthy harvest training, and other activities can be attributed to effective mobilization approaches by the program. The CGVs and LMs play a key role in the mobilization, and the Amalima Days provided a platform to acknowledge and recognize the work of program volunteers.

IR 3.2 Health and hygiene and caring practices of pregnant and lactating women, caregivers and boys and girls under 2 improved When time available for child care for caregivers is optimized, and there is male involvement in child health and maternal nutrition at household level, this results in optimal health and hygiene and caring practices of pregnant and lactating women and children, and this is key for malnutrition prevention. IR 3.2.1 Knowledge and skills of child health & maternal nutrition by caregivers improved Care Groups: Amalima trained a total of 32,654 people (29,998 females, 2,656 males) on infant and young child feeding practices encompassing both exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding as well as maternal health (Indicator 77). Amalima continued to use cooking classes to place emphasis on quality diets for children 6-23 months with locally available foods. A total of 12,830 people (11,853 females, 977 males) participated in cooking classes in FY18 (Indicator 68). During FY18, there was high community enthusiasm and participation, which was reflected by the 100% community contribution of ingredients (groundnuts, cowpeas, sorghum meal, small dried fish, mopane worms) for the cooking classes and use of the Amalima recipe books. Building on lessons from FY17 where all-male cooking classes were piloted for male champions and their peers, 977 men attended general cooking classes this year (Indicator 68), almost doubling FY17 male participation. Cooking classes for men align with the Male Champion’s campaign, which encourages men to ensure nutritious foods are available to the household and, ideally, for men to cook for their family when the mother/caregiver is away.

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Within the Male Champion curriculum, men are told how animal-sourced foods, vegetables, and fruits are critical for children’s health. The Male Champion peers are then asked to commit to ensuring that these foods are available in the household so their children receive a complete and diverse diet. When Amalima first started the campaign, men did not express an interest in attending cooking classes and stated that they were unwilling to cook for their families. As the program has progressed, Amalima has seen an increased interest in men attending cooking classes. Even if a man who attended the classes is unwilling to cook his for family, the cooking classes reinforce the importance for sourcing diverse foods to fortify meals for their children.

Clinic based trainings for CGVs and LMs continue to be an important platform to improve the quality of care group trainings and home visits. In FY18 Q2, clinic-based trainings were opened up to male champions and to create a link with CGVs and LMs. In FY18 Q3, Amalima used the clinic-based trainings to raise awareness on how the VS&L activity can be used to meet nutrition and health objectives. Following the training, 20 new VS&L groups comprised solely of SO3 beneficiaries were formed.

In Q3, Amalima supplied 100 bicycles to Matabeleland South MoHCC to support CGV activities in the program areas. MoHCC highlighted the large distances that some CGVs are travelling to support care group activities, and the bicycles will ensure the CGVs have the transport means to continue supporting LM activities even beyond the program.

The Lot Quality Assurance Sampling8 findings show an improvement from 2015 of some key indicators being supported by Amalima: Outcome Indicator Coverage Estimate End project FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 target Proportion of children 0-5 months who were put to the 80% 66% 76% 88% 88% breast within one hour of birth Proportion of children born in the last 24 months who 80% - 98% 99% 100% were ever breastfed Proportion of mothers with infants less than 6 months 80% 54% 76% 72% 93% who completely empty the breast at each feed

IR 3.2.2 Male Involvement in child health and maternal nutrition improved Male Champions Campaign: The Male Champions campaign is now present in 36 wards across all four districts. Despite the increased presence of the campaign, trainings have not been regular since men are either engaged in livestock rearing activities or looking for seasonal work to augment their family’s income. To increase male participation within the Male Champions Campaign and other activities across all three SOs, Amalima reviewed the Male Champion strategy by meeting with Amalima staff and government counterparts. Some of the key

8Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) is a methodology used by Amalima to conduct annual surveys to determine the adoption rate of behaviors and practices promoted under Strategic Objective 3: Improved Nutrition and Health. The survey looks at 13 key nutrition, health, and WASH indicators and targets mothers with babies 0-5 months and mothers with children 6-23 months. LQAS findings are used to identify where efforts need to be strengthened to maximize improved health, nutrition and WASH outcomes.

November 2018 24 Amalima CNFA FFP-A-13-00004 recommendations included standardizing the training approach, coupling training with soccer to mobilize men, and increasing the use of edutainment for group sessions. In October-November 2018, the program will hold ward-level Male Champion fora to present the updated strategy and gain feedback from the community. The visibility of male champions activities was evident at the Amalima Days, which gave an opportunity for male champions across the program areas to highlight the selected behaviors9 that are helpful to women and will ultimately support and improve infant and young child feeding practices.

IR 3.2.3 Time available for child caring by PLWs and caregivers optimized Anecdotal reports10 from the community are showing that more men in the areas with the Male Champions campaign are adopting the project promoted supportive behaviors and helping with chores around the house, thereby reducing their wives’ labor burden. The endline evaluation for the campaign that will be done at the end of FY19 will show whether this is indeed the case in all areas.

IR 3.2.4 Community based management of malnutrition among PLWs; and boys and girls under 2 improved Health and nutrition integration meetings: This year Amalima used a different approach in working with nurses. Instead of conducting meetings similar to past years, on-the-job mentorship visits to nurses were conducted by the SO3 Team Leader and the MoHCC District Nutritionist. The key area that the mentorship team supported was improving the nurses’ supervision of CGV and LM activities and reporting. In preparation for the mentorship meetings, the SO3 Team Leaders sat down with the MoHCC District Nutritionists to discuss ongoing program activities, plans to incorporate the Care Group model into MoHCC’s activities, and identify nurses who need additional support before the close-out of Amalima. Both the SO3 Team Leaders and the MoHCC District Nutritionists then visited health centers to review the MoHCC and Amalima registers and talk directly with the pre-identified nurses about their Care Groups in order to identify challenges and capacity gaps nurses are facing within the Care Group model and provide corresponding support. After the mentorship meetings were completed, the SO3 team leaders and the MoHCC District Nutritionist were able to identify the most common challenges and the most common capacity gaps among the nurses, which was then used to make an action plan moving forward. A total of 164 nurses, district health workers, and Environmental Health Technicians (EHTs) were trained (96 females, 68 males) (Indicator 80). To monitor whether nurses are correctly reporting on Care Group activities and supervising CGVs and LMs, Amalima is using the quarterly clinic-based trainings to assess the nurses’ involvement in the Care Group model. During the clinic-based trainings, SO3 team leaders assess nurses’ level of engagement by observing whether nurses know the volunteers they should be supporting, asking how often nurses meet with Amalima volunteers, and asking nurses about impacts and challenges around the Care Groups they are supporting.

10 See annexed success story

November 2018 25 Amalima CNFA FFP-A-13-00004

In addition, Amalima is introducing a simple report template which nurses can use to capture key challenges and support given to CGVs. These one-page reports will then be used by the MoHCC District Nutritionists to track how Care Group activities are progressing. Once the tool is drafted by Amalima staff, it will be reviewed by the MoHCC Provincial Nutritionist and then distributed to all rural health clinics.

Advocating for MoHCC adoption of the Care Group model: In addition to district level advocacy efforts described above, at the national level Amalima continues to lobby for the adoption of the care group model. At the beginning of FY18, the Amalima team facilitated a care group training for 12 MoHCC staff from three non-Amalima districts from Matabeleland South province where the MoHCC has begun piloting care groups (Matobo, , and ). In August, Amalima staff participated in a two-day National Care Group seminar to share experiences on the implementation of the care group model to inform future programming and models by MoHCC. This was followed by MoHCC visits in September to the Amalima districts to assess the impact of care groups. As a way forward, participants of the Care Group Seminar agreed to enhance the adoption of the care group model by building the capacity of government extension officers and community-based organizations across Amalima’s four districts in wards where the model has not yet been adopted.

IR 3.3 Accessibility to and effectiveness of community health and hygiene services improved When the knowledge and skills of communities on hygiene is improved they are more likely to have effective community health and hygiene services. This can be done through communities adopting program promoted hygiene behaviors and practices.

IR 3.3.1 Knowledge and skill of community health and hygiene service providers on the subject matter improved Community Health Clubs (CHCs) and Participatory Health and Hygiene Education (PHHE) With support from MoHCC’s EHTs and Amalima trained Community Based Facilitators (CBF), CHCs continue to be the primary conduit for promoting and adopting optimal hygiene and sanitation practices and constructing household level hygiene enabling facilities, such as pot racks, rubbish pits, tippy taps, and latrines. Amalima expanded CHC activities by training 29 new CBFs (28 females, 1 male) in Tsholotsho district. In FY18, 1,778 (1,585 females,193 males) people completed PHHE lessons – a significant increase from FY17 (Indicator 86).

The support by EHTs and CBFs continues to be an important factor in the success of CHC members, even after graduation. Amalima held review meetings for EHTs and CBFs to share experiences on sustainability and strengthen linkages between CHCs and MoHCC. During the review meetings, most of the program’s 233 CBFs indicated that they have seen an improvement in the support and supervision provided by EHTs (e.g. participating in CHC graduation ceremonies, conducting CHC competitions, commemoration of WASH significant days), which is in line with the sustainability strategy for the program.

IR 3.3.2 Community health and hygiene services for pregnant and lactating women, boys and girls improved

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In October, CHCs hosted Global Handwashing Day commemorations at 81 food distribution points. As part of the global handwashing campaign, Amalima completed installation of hand washing cues at 26 Rural Health Clinics with Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities rehabilitated by the program. In line with the program’s sustainability strategy, in FY18, the CHCs have taken a more central role in organizing the activities as part of the commemorations than in previous years; in addition, they utilized the FDPs to reach a wider audience. The outcome has been greater enthusiasm, edutainment, and rich messaging shared with community members.

There has been an increase in the adoption of hygiene-enabling facilities at the household level. In FY18, 3,816 people gained access to a basic sanitation facility service with 3,810 households installing tippy taps (which allow users to wash their hands without touching the container holding water), 1,923 building pot racks (which reduce bacterial growth on wet dishes by laying them in the sun on a raised shelf), 1,769 establishing and modifying refuse pits (which are used to dispose household waste), and 636 building latrines (which follow the BVIP latrine model that promotes continuous airflow and traps mosquitos or flies which could spread disease) (Indicator 89). The Amalima Days event was used as a platform to showcase hygiene improvements at the household level as most of the events were held at a homestead with program hygiene enabling facilities. The adoption of hygiene enabling facilities mainly results from an increase in the number of program CBFs and high rate of CHCs participating in VS&L to raise funds for construction. CBFs also remained active in responding to localized outbreaks of cholera and typhoid throughout the year by revisiting topics on diarrhea prevention.

IR 3.3.3 Access to safe water and sanitation for pregnant and lactating women, boys and girls improved Institutional WASH rehabilitation: Amalima conducted quarterly monitoring visits to all 27 clinics with rehabilitated WASH infrastructure and found that the Health Centre Committees trained in FY17 are all taking a more central role in the maintenance of the WASH facilities. Water quality monitoring was done in all 12 Health facilities where water rehabilitation was done, in line with the Water Quality Assurance Plan, and the water was found to be potable at all facilities.

Crosscutting Activities Stakeholder engagement (reflection meetings, community leader dialogues, Amalima Days): During FY18, Amalima continued to strengthen engagement with community leaders and relevant stakeholders from the GoZ. As part of the sustainability plan, Amalima held its first ‘Amalima Days’ across all four districts, hosted by local communities. Amalima staff have noted that over the course of the program, community-hosted events such as VS&L fundraisers (e.g. “mock weddings”), CHC model home competitions, agriculture field days, and youth sporting competitions have been highly effective in motivating volunteers, energizing communities and stakeholders, and providing a platform for messaging to hard-to-reach community members. Amalima Days were organized around agriculture field days and were held in eight locations (two per district). Over 4,000 individuals attended Amalima Days including community members, government stakeholders, community leaders, input suppliers, and Amalima staff.

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Objectives of these days include celebrating community achievements; recognizing the work done by Amalima community volunteers; acknowledging the support provided by government stakeholders; and raising the visibility of Amalima program activities while emphasizing the linkages between agriculture, natural resources management, and health/nutrition. The village headmen and representatives from AGRITEX, the Department of Veterinary Services, and the MoHCC gave speeches on importance of ‘ilima’ as a concept and the maintaining the spirit and activities of Amalima after the program finishes. Amalima district staff, with key stakeholders, distributed tokens of appreciation to volunteers and awarded prizes the best farmers. Since these events were held, Field Officers are reporting improved coordination between ward and district level government stakeholders and Amalima staff. Several communities expressed interest in organizing further Amalima days without financial support from the program, with the first taking place the first week of October. As a member of the District Food and Nutrition Security Committee, Amalima continued to support and participate in the annual Food and Nutrition Security Committee review meetings in all four districts and Matebeleland North Province. These meetings have assisted in the coordination of all food security related activities and consolidation of reports that are submitted to the National Food and Nutrition Security Committee. Amalima also participated in a 5-day training for Gwanda and Mangwe districts conducted by the Provincial Food and Nutrition Security Committee (PFNSC) of Matabeleland South, and a 3-day training for Tsholotsho district by the PFNSC of Matabeleland North. Amalima also co-facilitated 13 community leader dialogues in collaboration with Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Gender, and Community Development (MoWACGD) in , which was attended by 852 (471 females, 381 males) community leaders (traditional and religious), and their spouses. The workshops provided Amalima with a unique opportunity to reach community leaders and spouses to get buy-in on the value of Amalima interventions, community groups, and community volunteers. Community leaders were also alerted on how Amalima and MoWAGCD were linked to ensure they anticipate ministry support on gender issues even after the program closes. Learning Unit: As part of the extension request, Amalima created a Learning Unit to formalize learning activities outside of the M&E structure in order to (1) capture and document Amalima lessons learned that will inform programing decisions, and (2) share the lessons learned and related data with USAID, GoZ stakeholders and other implementing partners. The Learning Unit is led by the Deputy Chief of Party with support from the Chief of Party, SO Managers, the MEL Manager, and Technical Coordinators. A Learning Unit study topic is proposed by a technical staff member to the Deputy Chief of Party. Once the study topic and timelines have been approved, the principal investigator initiates the study, prepares a report and presents the report to get input from the rest of the technical team. By the end of FY18, Amalima had completed data collection, analysis, and review of seven of the proposed 14 studies. The completed studies include models for agricultural input supply in rural areas, HHAV, VS&L, dietary diversity for care group participants, evidence of ration sharing at HH level, youth participation in Amalima activities, and the role of home visits in influencing the adoption of Infant and Young Child Feeding behaviors. Gender review: Amalima conducted a gender review in Q4 to better understand Amalima’s gender integration approaches in promoting women’s empowerment and to determine the

November 2018 28 Amalima CNFA FFP-A-13-00004 extent to which these approaches align with the Gender Strategy completed in 2015. Preliminary findings showed that Amalima field staff at all levels are all conversant on the program’s gender strategy and have been given the skills they need to implement it. Amalima’s household-centered approach, which was not part of the original 2015 gender strategy, has improved household-level decision making and encouraged families to share household chores. A recommendation from the review was for the program to track the number of men and women in leadership positions. The review found that while there is data tracked by the program that can quantitatively measure women’s empowerment to an extent, more information on leadership positions would help the project better evaluate the sustainability of Amalima’s activities. Actuals table: As part of the approved PREP budget, Amalima projected distributing 1,493 vouchers to 1,493 participants for a total cost of $100,000. Due to a high willingness and ability of farmers to purchase vouchers, a total of 3,218 participants ended up purchasing vouchers. As the value of each voucher differed based basket of items purchased (see table 1.2.2.1 on page 11 above for more detail), Amalima contributed on average $67 and the farmer paid the rest. The actuals table on FFPMIS incorrectly lists the cost per participant as $31.08 because the table is automatically dividing the projected cost of $100,000 by the actual number of participants. Also, it was originally assumed that many of the vouchers would be redeemed in the first month of Q1 FY19. In practice we were able to process all vouchers and have all items delivered to communities by the end of September. For the Food/Cash for Assets activity, cash payments are given on a monthly basis with the maximum value of each transfer being $30 for 15 days of work. Amalima planned to make 12,466 cash transfers to 3,854 participants for all 24 sites worth a total of $373,980 in FY18; however, although work was underway at all sites, only 1,169 cash transfers were made by the end of September 2018. This resulted in the program paying a total of $33,275 in FY18. This is due to the delay in doing public mobilizations and starting constructions activities until after elections. Work for all FY18 assets will be completed by mid-November, before heavy rains begin. While the table in FFPMIS lists the total cost per participant as $319.91, this is incorrect because the table is automatically dividing the projected total cost of $373,980 by the actual number of recipients. The actual cost per participant was $28. This is slightly less than the planned transfer because workers are paid for the actual number of days worked (valued at $2/day), so not all payments were $30.

III. Direct Participating Households by Sector Table Amalima is designed to maximize impact and reinforce sustainability by benefitting individuals, households, and communities with multiple interventions. As such, all Amalima SOs and most activities are implemented in all of Amalima’s targeted communities (note that some ration recipients are not residents in Amalima wards and therefore do not have SO1-2 activities in their communities). Since not all individuals are able to participate in all activities, Amalima prioritizes participation in multiple interventions at the household level, especially encouraging SO3 beneficiaries (households with a PLW or child under 2) to also participate in SO1 and 2 activities. In the Amalima database each participant is allocated a unique identifier by district,

November 2018 29 Amalima CNFA FFP-A-13-00004 ward, village, and household that allows them to be counted only once regardless of how many interventions they receive. Data in the table below is presented by household, not by individual. Columns are exclusive – each household only appears in a single column. For example, the “SO 1&2” column includes only households that participated in SO 1 and 2 but not in SO 3. A household that also participated in SO 3 will only appear in the “SO 1, 2, & 3” column. Therefore, the total number of households that participated in SO I is the sum of B+C+G+H, SO 2 is the sum of C+D+E+H, etc. The table only refers to households participating in trainings or activities which took place in FY18. For example, the table includes people trained in CA or VS&L in FY18, but does not include people trained in a previous FY that continue to practice CA or VS&L in FY18, but did not attend formal trainings. As such, the table underreports participation in SO 1 and 2 since many “SO 3 only” households would have participated in SO 1 and 2 trainings in previous years. Direct Participating Households by Sector Table A B C D E F G H

Total unique direct SO1 only SO1 & 2 SO2 only SO2 & 3 SO3 only SO1 & 3 SO1,2 & 3 participating households

Total 53,636 8,390 3,694 1,164 618 22,185 12,455 5,130

The table shows a very high level of overlap for SO1 and SO2 participants, with 72% of SO1 and 89% of SO2 participants participating in another SO, including over 59% and 54% respectively participating in SO3. Overlap is lower for SO3 participant households, with 45% participating in other SOs. The vast majority of SO3 participants are ration beneficiaries and care group participants. The program is continuously trying to increase SO3 beneficiary participation in SO 1-2 activities. Amalima promotes the participation of SO3 participants in SO1 and 2 activities through targeted messaging at ration distributions, training CGVs and LMs on how other Amalima activities connect to improved health and nutrition, and more recently, showcasing integration at Amalima Days. The SBCC edutainment sessions delivered before distributions include messages related to all three SOs and Amalima groups are invited to showcase their success from SO1 and SO2 activities at distributions. Within the Care Groups, the CGVs encourage Care Group participants to participate in other activities to have an empowered household. For example, in Q3 of FY19, Amalima trained CGVs and LMs on VS&L during the clinic-based trainings to encourage the volunteers to promote VS&L during Care Group meetings. Healthy harvest trainings, which are also delivered during the Care Group trainings, cover agriculture focused practices on horticulture production, conservation agriculture, and livestock management. As a result of the healthy harvest training, Amalima has seen Care Groups request the full conservation agriculture training and Care Group members joining garden groups.

Amalima Days are a more recent effort to show community members the full package of available program activities. At Amalima Days in FY18, Amalima groups provided edutainment on key messages discussed throughout all activities, government stakeholders talked about the value of Amalima as a whole, and one Amalima household was selected to give a tour of

November 2018 30 Amalima CNFA FFP-A-13-00004 adopted behaviors presented in Amalima trainings. These interventions are intended to show SO3 beneficiaries how all activities can contribute towards having a happier and healthier household. IV. Challenges, Successes, and Lessons Learned Challenges • The economic crisis and cash shortages resulted in challenges in input and output marketing and access to finance though formal channels. For livestock sales, this could be mitigated somewhat in the informal market. Private sector actors linked to Amalima producers have often struggled to meet their commitments. • Most communal land is still bare ground and thus poses a threat to the availability of food for ruminants, resulting in farmers increasingly relying on supplementary feeding. Bare ground is also prone to erosion and leads to siltation of surface water sources, including Amalima dams. Amalima continues to work with ward-level and village-level DRR Committees to motivate community members to improve the grazing lands. • Many AMCs struggle with their responsibilities, face high turnover, and require further capacity building. During monitoring visits, field staff noted that committees are not always static - committee members will rotate, leave in search of jobs or other opportunities, or get sick and are unable to fulfill their responsibilities. This creates a challenge since Amalima will train the AMC and then a year later find the committee members to be new and untrained. In response, Amalima is encouraging committee members to pass down their knowledge and skills to the other members. • There is low youth participation in CFA activities in Gwanda, as the youth may have alternative sources of income (e.g. informal mining) and do not necessarily see the benefit of the assets as they do not own livestock. • Fall army worm remains highly damaging and difficult to manage in irrigated maize. • Amalima has collected anecdotal information from field-based staff during meetings to review the Male Champions strategy that there seems to be underreporting across the Male Champions approach, especially for one-on-one sessions between Male Champions and a peer. Amalima has been conducting a review of the campaign to address this challenge by standardizing the training approach and addressing documentation issues. • Amalima has recognized signs of volunteer fatigue. One aspect of volunteer fatigue is that volunteers at times may not bother to keep training registers for routine activities such as CA trainings, or note the specific topics addressed (e.g. PHH) which results in under-reporting. To increase volunteer motivation, the program continues to increase intrinsic motivation approaches.11 In Q3 and Q4, Amalima Days provided a platform to recognize and acknowledge the important work of volunteers at the community level. Additionally, Amalima provided 100 bicycles for use by CGVs in their work. While Amalima acknowledges that volunteer fatigue is a natural tendency, the program is actively seeking to increase volunteer motivation in a variety of ways. Amalima publicly recognizes volunteers’ efforts wherever possible, seeking to raise their profile within the community and linking them as closely as possible with technical government stakeholders and private suppliers. This recognition as a role model, both internally and

11 Recognition and acknowledgement of volunteers at community meetings where they are seen as a key resource within their community, e.g. Amalima Day events

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by community leaders and other stakeholders, is intended to drive volunteer engagement even after the program ends. • Lead Mothers play a key role in mobilizing project beneficiaries for activities including cooking classes. It was notable that volunteer fatigue could have affected mobilization of cooking class participants, as the achievement was at 81%.12

Successes • VS&L has been a very effective tool to provide increased access to funds for participants across all SOs, despite the economic crisis and collapse of other forms of finance. This includes enabling farmers to purchase productive assets. • Amalima implemented the new approach of the subsidized vouchers successfully in the four districts, with more beneficiaries than expected able to purchase vouchers. Farmers were able to redeem their vouchers to access the agricultural inputs before the onset of the rain season and acquire durable assets which will serve them for future years. Amalima has initially considered the activity a success based on the high demand for vouchers, a willingness to purchase vouchers in advance, and the fact that vouchers were distributed on time before the start of the rainy season. A specific success from the activity is that Amalima participants received a total of 16.6 tons of subsidized small grain seeds before the start of the FY18/19 planting season. To more thoroughly assess the success of this activity, Amalima is conducting a post distribution monitoring study to confirm that the activity has met its objectives and to inform the FY19 subsidized voucher process. • Since Amalima Days were held, Field Officers are reporting an increase in adoption of practices showcased by famers on the day, such as the buying of improved livestock breeds. The interaction and competition across Amalima volunteers has also increased in response to the recognition of outstanding volunteers during each Amalima Day. Staff are also reporting improved relationships among ward- and district-level government stakeholders and community leaders who attended the events. • Despite the poor rainfall season Amalima farmers in Tsholotsho practicing CA managed to produce surplus small grains and maize and were linked to the Grain Marketing Board. • No animal poverty deaths were reported by AGRITEX in Amalima areas despite the poor rains, which is likely partly due to the 48 livestock water sources which Amalima has constructed or repaired over the past 3 years, reducing the distances animals travel for water. • Look and learn exchange visits are catalytic to adoption of technologies. Kwite AMC protected 19 ha of the dam catchment area after visiting Makhelwane dam. The AMC has started to hold regular meetings and started mobilizing for a maintenance fund. • The Amalima-developed FAW training material enabled early positive identification of the pest and its timely management, reducing (though not eliminating) losses. • The FY18 Lot Quality Assurance Sampling findings show a percentage of 87.7%13 of mothers in the program areas are practicing exclusive breastfeeding. For WASH

12 12,830 participants against a target of 15,800.

13 In FY17, this was at 87.9%, so Excusive breastfeeding rate remains high

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behaviors, 82.8% of households are using an improved drinking water source, up from 78.6% in FY17. These improved behaviors are further reinforced by findings from the 2018 National Nutrition Survey, where the program districts have reduced stunting rates (see table below) as compared to Amalima’s baseline. While this reduction cannot be attributed solely to Amalima activities, it gives us insight on what expect from the endline survey.

Comparison of current and past stunting rates in Amalima Districts Stunting Rates 2014 2010 NNS 2018 NNS Amalima Baseline National 33.8% N/A 20.6% Gwanda 24.7% 33.4% 17.8% Tsholotsho 37.4% 33.4% 24.7% Bulilima 28.6% 33.4% 27.9% Mangwe 29.2% 33.4% 26.2% • Amalima advocacy efforts have culminated in MoHCC interest in adoption of the care group model. Following recommendations from the National Care Group seminar, Amalima will continue to adopt strategies to enhance adoption of the Care Group Model in Food and Nutrition Security Programming.

Lessons Learned • In the prevailing economic conditions, interventions which focus on local and informal markets and sources of the finance (VS&L, remittances in SA Rand) are proving more effective and adaptable than those linking to formal finance and commercial markets. • The evolving role of VACs has filled in an input supply gap of mainly horticulture seeds, crop, and veterinary products, which is a product range that had low sales under the agrodealer input fair model. • Amalima participants, especially VS&L groups are keen and willing to invest in the purchase of productive assets. • Monitoring visits to previously constructed dams have shown the need to increase support on expanding catchment areas protections and carrying out conservation works during F/CFA construction and rehabilitation. For the most recent round of assets, Amalima has been working with communities to ensure conservation works are being completed at the same time as other F/CFA work. • Adaptive management continues to be critical, even as the program is moving closer to close-out. For example, the program recognized the need to reflect on the Male Champions campaign, and revise the approach to achieve standardized training approach, and enhanced male champions and peer participation across all SO’s. • Amalima Days have also provided a platform for communities, local leadership, and GoZ officers to fully appreciate Amalima activities, recognize the work being done by project volunteers and participants expressed interest to initiate and be more involved in DRR activities.

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