Zimbabwe Health Communication Environment

Population:
12,236,805

Households living below the poverty line:
80%

Age structure:
0-14 years: 37.4% (male 2,307,170 / female 2,265,298)
15-64 years: 59.1% (male 3,616,528 / female 3,621,190)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 199,468 / female 227,151) (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 51.71 deaths / 1,000 live births
male: 54.5 deaths / 1,000 live births
female: 48.83 deaths / 1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy rate:
total population: 39.29 years
male: 40.39 years
female: 38.16 years (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:   
24.6% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:   
1.8 million (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:   
170,000 (2003 est.)

Literacy rate:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write English
total population: 90.7%
male: 94.2%
female: 87.2% (2003 est.)

Languages:  
English (official), Shona, Sindebele/Ndebele


Our History
The partnership between Action and Soul City South Africa began in 2001 when Action became Soul City’s local Zimbabwe partner for a health communication programme that would be indigenously grown in Zimbabwe, but would resonate with the Soul City concept of mass media to affect social and behavioural change.


Our Mission and objectives
To be a leading NGO that proactively responds to environment and development needs in Zimbabwe, in accordance with our vision of stimulating and developing communities for improved livelihoods.

Our philosophy
In keeping with our values of being proactive, timely, accurate, accountable, creative, original, of high quality and encouraging a diversity of opinion, we aim to:

What we’ve done
Action has developed and distributed 750 000 copies of a booklet addressing health issues for parents called Parenting Now. This booklet was produced in three languages, English, Shona and Ndebele. It was distributed nationally to schools around the country. In addition, 750 000 copies of two further booklets called ACTION PALS for children aged eight to 12 years old have been distributed through Zimbabwean schools, and a booklet about ‘Violence against Women’ has gone through production.

A 26 part radio series has been aired in two languages, targeted at children between the ages of eight and 12 years of age. This was aired national Zimbabwe radio stations.


Reach and Impact Evaluation Outcomes
The ACTION PALS productions have been received very well by local audiences, and various spontaneous accounts of self-reported impact have been documented:

“I feel it’s a very good book, because as parents in homes there are some things that we hide from children but these things should be known by them.” (Action Pals Parenting Booklet, Rural female, Zimbabwe)

“What I liked about this book after I had started reading it, I learnt a lot of things, some of the things I’ve never taken seriously from a child and I have learnt that the child also has the right to air their views on family maters.” (Rural females)

“Actually from what I see, this book teaches the parent more. It teaches the parent how children should be treated. It also shows how problems affecting children can be solved. It also shows the parents ways of detecting if a child has some problems. This is what I really liked when I read this book. It is so enlightening. Actually, as far as I am concerned, this is a very good book … it really is. (KweKwe, urban mixed group)


Process Evaluation:
After a mid-term review (2004), an independently contracted process evaluation shows that significant gains in capacity are being made on the Regional Programme:

“This evaluation shows the Soul City Regional Programme (SCRP) going from strength to strength. After a slow start (in the sense that relevant capacities were poor in the region as well as in the sense that partners joined the programme at different stages), the programme appears to be in full swing. Although the programme has had to revise downwards some of the initial delivery targets, progress remains substantial and a significant change is being made in the region’s capacity.”
(Independent Evaluator)


Governance
Action forms a part of Soul City’s five year regional programme with eight Southern African countries.  It is a branch of  the Zimbabwe Trust, a Non Governmental Organisation, and falls under the jurisdiction of its four-member Board of Trustees comprised of:-
Mrs Victoria Fikile Chitepo (Chairman)
Mario L dos Remedios (Treasurer)
Dr Langford Thaddeaus Chitsike (board member)
Sir Ramsay Melhuish (Board Member)

Funding
Funders include DFID, RNE, EU, Irish Aid and BP.


Contact us
Action Magazine
Programme Manager:
Ms Tapuwa Loreen Mutseyekwa
loreen@action.co.zw

+263 4 747 213/7 (w)
+263 4 747 274 (w)
+263 4 747 409 (f)
Mukuvushi Environment Centre
Cnr Hillside/Glenara Roads
South Ave, Woodlands