Ms Perpetual Nyadenga
By Licious Mkuni
The Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee (ZimLAC) commenced its 2024 urban livelihood assessment yesterday, with expectations high for collection of reliable data that will be used to improve living standards of urban dwellers.
This initiative aims to comprehensively evaluate urban livelihoods and provide insights to shape policies and interventions for enhancement.
The assessment, conducted by ZimLAC enumerators drawn from Government, United Nations, technical partners, and Non-Governmental Organizations, will run from February 13th to 28th, 2024.
Field officers will visit urban households to gather data on livelihood status and factors influencing the status quo.
In an interview Tuesday, Ms. Perpetual Nyadenga, Knowledge Management Director at the National Food and Nutrition Council, highlighted the assessment’s objectives, including “estimating urban food insecurity, evaluating nutritional status, understanding socioeconomic profiles, analyzing available livelihood options, and providing practical recommendations for improvement”.
She said that ZimLAC enumerators will collect data from 300 households in urban areas for each domain and the gathered information will inform government and development partners in planning, programming, and decision-making processes.
With an improved economic status due to vibrant policies, the country’s assessments now encompass broader issues related to people’s livelihoods, shifting from vulnerability as the sole unit of analysis.
“ZimLAC is transitioning from vulnerability indicators to a broader Sustainable Livelihoods-based analytical approach. It will not only address livelihood challenges but also identify opportunities to enhance people’s lives,” added Ms Nyadenga.
By examining the nutritional status of urban populations, Ms. Nyadenga highlighted that the assessment will illuminate the impact of malnutrition on these communities. Furthermore, obtaining an in-depth socioeconomic profile of urban households will help uncover factors contributing to food insecurity.
Zimbabwe prioritizes improving livelihoods, with a national Vision 2030 aiming to transform the country into an Upper Middle-Income Economy by 2030. Supporting this vision, policies and strategies such as the National Development Strategy 1, the Food and Nutrition Security Policy, and the Zero Hunger Strategy are in place. ZimLAC will monitor and report on commitments within these frameworks.
“Data from the annual livelihoods assessments are crucial for developing holistic food and nutrition programs to ensure that no one and no place is left behind,” emphasized Ms. Nyadenga.
The assessments also monitor interventions to ensure compliance with regional and international frameworks, including the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme and the Sustainable Development Goals, to which Zimbabwe is committed.
Since its inception in 2001, ZimLAC has conducted 10 Urban (this being the 11th) and 23 Rural Livelihoods Assessments.
The Food and Nutrition Council, chairing ZimLAC, is a lead agency under the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), tasked by the Government with coordinating, analyzing, and promoting a cohesive national response to food and nutrition insecurity in Zimbabwe.
Established in 2000, the Council’s vision is to ensure that “Every Zimbabwean is free from hunger and all forms of malnutrition.”
The Council aims to establish functional multisectoral food and nutrition systems and structures, monitor and evaluate the prevailing food and nutrition situation in Zimbabwe, and work towards a coordinated national response to address food and nutrition insecurity.
This will be achieved through “promoting a cohesive national response to prevailing household food insecurity and malnutrition through coordinated multi-sectoral action.”
