Mercy Corps Zimbabwe

Quarterly Highlights | January – March 2026

From 23 to 27 March 2026, the Resilience Knowledge Hub (RKH) visited the Southeast Lowveld Landscape (SELL) to administer the Capacity Assessment for Resilience Programming (CARP) tool and to carry out a structured Bylaws Stocktaking exercise across Beitbridge, Chiredzi, and Mwenezi districts.

Made possible through the support from the EU Delegation to Zimbabwe and the Government of Ireland, and led by the RKH team (Mercy Corps Zimbabwe and the Centre for Agriculture and Food Policy) , the mission brought together the Consortium led by CARE Zimbabwe and district level stakeholders that included the District Development Coordinators, Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development (MLAFWRD) officers, Rural District Council (RDC) representatives, Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Dev. (MWACSMED), the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training , Ministry of Health & Child Care, Environmental Management Agency (EMA)-Zimbabwe, Home Affairs and other district-level implementers to self-assess themselves on their capacity to design and implement resilience and natural resources management programs.

The CARP tool, built around 6 core resilience competencies and 22 standard practices, asked a simple but powerful question: are the people designing and delivering resilience programming fit for purpose? Teams scored themselves honestly along a four-stage learning journey, from understanding a practice, to applying it, reflecting on it, and adapting because of it. Only 39% of the participants were involved with , indicating staff movement and attrition and new entrants to resilience programming. The results will shape a comprehensive Capacity Strengthening Plan for .

Running alongside the CARP sessions, the Bylaws Stocktaking brought district stakeholders together to examine which Rural District Council bylaws, on land use, water, agriculture, markets, and natural resource management, are most critical for and , and more importantly, what is preventing them from being fully implemented.

The conversations identified persistent bottlenecks such as outdated provisions misaligned with national legislation, limited enforcement capacity, and resource gaps in human, financial, and technical capacities. Stakeholders also mapped gender-related gaps, noting how women, youth, and marginalized groups are often excluded from bylaw design and enforcement, and proposed concrete actions, from community-based monitoring to incentive-based compliance to strengthen ownership.

These findings will directly inform a set of actionable recommendations for bylaw harmonisation, capacity building, and policy influencing under .

Mercy Corps Zimbabwe stands united for the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. Violence against women and girls is not just a violation of human rights; it is a barrier to progress and resilience. We believe that empowering women and girls is the most effective way to prevent GBV and build stronger communities.

✅ Economic independence through business training
✅ Safe environments where women’s voices matter

Join us in creating a future free from fear.
👉 Speak out.
👉 Support survivors.
👉 Share this message to raise awareness.

Together, we can break the cycle of violence and unlock the potential of every woman and girl.