In the four year period, Switzerland has committed US$8.8 million which will target the strengthening of poor and vulnerable families through cash transfers and other child protection services that include care and insurance; labour market interventions; and livelihoods support interventions.
At the heart of the Plan is a Case Management System designed to promote and protect children’s rights including a national response system to protection violations; and the Harmonized Social Cash Transfer which is aimed at reducing extreme poverty in the most vulnerable households.
Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Prisca Mupfumira said the NAP programme is an “unprecedented social protection mechanism and the Government of Zimbabwe will continue to devise meaningful and innovative ways to boost support to orphans and vulnerable children and help families and communities meet the needs of such children.”
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Assistant Regional Director, Mr. Christian Engler noted that social protection; in particular cash transfers are a powerful livelihood enabler. “It gives vulnerable people decent spaces within which to prioritize and address multiple factors that cause persistent poverty, vulnerability and chronic food insecurity.”
International development partner support to child protection in Zimbabwe has already reached 55,000 families caring for vulnerable children with cash transfers and helped 48,000 children with protection services. The 2016-2020 phase plans to benefit 23,000 families and over 100,000 children at risk of poverty and exploitation.