This study is a critical ethnography of my professional career as an educator born and raised in the Shona culture in Zimbabwe. In this metaphysical study I reconstruct a worldview that I consider to be representative of Shona customs and beliefs. Doing this project has challenged my own ethnic identity as I struggled to position myself on the emic-etic continuum. As a young educator, I believed my professional practice was rooted in the high professional ethics of "modern science." Today as I come to the end of this particular journey, I have raised more questions than answers. To what extend does "modern science" represent the worldviews of indigenous people like me? More still, to what extent does the development of knowledge and technology engage rural indigenous communities? Is it possible for rural indigenous communities to achieve sustainable development as outsiders to the "scientific" community? The questions I have raised in this study have led me to understand that the current state of "development" as a concept and discourse needs to be redefined from the perspective of ordinary rural people. Universal notions of development have failed to inform policy makers and researchers on how to solve social problems of poverty and access to basic services like clean water, food, shelter, and affordable health care and education. Globalization as the new manifestation of "modernity" is leading to increased exclusion of disadvantaged communities, mostly women and indigenous rural people, from enjoying the benefits of new knowledge and advanced technology. In this dissertation, I review the main paradigms of community development from 1884 when Africa was officially "christianized" at the Berlin Conference. The epistemology of community development gave me a unique opportunity to propose a grassroots model to community development that I refer to as the "G Community Development" theory (or simply the GCD theory). The GCD theory is grounded in the Zimbabwean context and my woridview. This theory is my tentative approach to make sense of the state of the development of indigenous communities in rural Zimbabwe. Under no circumstances do I seek to generalize the application of this theoretical artifact. / Graduation date: 2004

This study focuses on the role of Zimbabwe‘s indigenisation and economic empowerment policy in community development. In particular, it investigates the contribution of community ownership of mineral resource wealth to community development with particular reference to the Zvishavane Community Share Ownership Trust (ZCSOT) in Zvishavane District, Zimbabwe. The study is situated within the framework of participatory community development and seeks to explore whether the ZCSOT stimulate broad-based participation at community level in the ownership and utilisation of natural resource wealth as envisioned in the indigenisation policy. The research utilised methodological triangulation, using a questionnaire and in-depth interviews for data collection. The findings of this study suggest that the community ownership of mineral resource wealth through community share ownership trusts (CSOTs) is capable of bringing positive social and economic transformation in resource-rich communities much better than state-centred and/or corporate-led development. However, the study also highlights that because of certain irregularities in the indigenisation policy and the subsequent operational imperfections evident in the operation of the ZCSOT, community engagement in the process of development is quite marginal. Instead, what we see is political manipulation of the CSOT, lack of transparency and corruption due to the non-representation of ordinary community members in the CSOT, thus impeding their full participation. The involvement of traditional leaders in CSOTs has promoted the entrenchment of relations of domination, paternalism and stifling of democracy, thereby contradicting with the principles of participatory community development. In the end, the study establishes that the success of community ownership of mineral resource wealth in the socio-economic transformation of mineral-rich communities needs need to be anchored on the full participation of local communities.

A RESEARCH REPORT PRESENTED TO THE FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND, JOHANNESBURG, IN FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT OF THE MASTER OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT (HOUSING). JOHANNESBURG 2014 / Based on evidence of the performance of a public-private partnership (PPP) housing arrangement in Masvingo City, Zimbabwe, I argue that PPPs may not thrive in youthful democracies entrenched in informal approaches to project management. The PPP strategy which was meant to deliver about 10 000 housing units in Masvingo City has dismally failed to live to its expectation, save for an ignited spirit of cooperativism. This is in spite of what was dubbed as a potentially promising partnership strategy involving indigenous private developers and contractors. Yet the compulsory acquisition of urban and peri-urban farmland country-wide presented powerful launch pad for a promisingly successful housing delivery that is widely expected to wipe out serious housing deficits. Housing problems were recently further compounded by Operation Murambatsvina in 2005 which ruthlessly demolished all informal housing and left several hundreds of thousands homeless. Following an insightful in-depth interview methodology and several ground-truthing trips to the Victoria Ranch Housing Project site, I argue that Government of Zimbabwe (GOZ) arrangements in terms of legal, administrative and financial aspects were weak to enable successful implementation of a formal PPP strategy. The arrangements advertently or inadvertently promoted privatism instead of the mutually beneficial PPP arrangement. As such, there were no clear regulatory mechanisms and modalities to enable beneficiation of the targeted low-income people and other economically weaker sections of the Masvingo City Community. There are fears that undeserving better-offs could have hijacked the scheme. However, a commendable resilience has emerged through a resurgent self-help housing delivery approach resulting in many self-built houses in what is widely viewed as a “peculiar” parallel development. While it could be too early to meaningfully comment on the long-term performance of the PPP approach, it is clear that justice has not been done to low-income people in Masvingo who remain largely homeless.

There is persistence of rural poverty in African countries despite efforts by governments to implement community development projects to curb poverty in impoverished rural communities. Zimbabwe adopted the Poverty Alleviation Action Plan (PAAP) under which community development programme was initiated. Community development projects by NGOs and government did not manage to meet the needs of the impoverished communities in Mvuma rural communities. More so, the incremental approach to policy making adopted by the government of Zimbabwe failed to embrace the principles of community development, for example, participation of community projects beneficiaries on everything that impact to their way of living. Despite all the efforts to alleviate rural poverty in Mvuma rural district there is still persistence of rural poverty, characterized by poor roads and struggling of most families to meeting basic needs. Mvuma rural communities are rich in mineral resources and water sources that can be utilized instead of relying on external resources through NGOs. This therefore, calls on the government and NGOs to collaborate towards capacitating Mvuma rural dwellers in order to help alleviate poverty. This study employed qualitative approach to research as it was aimed at describing and understanding rather than explaining human behaviour. Purposive or judgmental sampling was applied. This technique was used as the researcher wanted to get hold of the people who are directly or indirectly linked to implementation of community development projects. However, quantitative method was used to gather demographic information. The PAAP policy relevance to poverty reduction in Mvuma rural district and in Zimbabwe in general was the heart of this study.

The issue of human settlements has recently gained much momentum particularly in cities across the world due to rapid rates of urbanization. The housing crisis is manifesting mostly in the cities of the developing countries; the urban poor population is left with no option, they are continuously living in substandard and unsustainable housing conditions due to the desperate housing need. There is a growing trend of migration into urban centers in the developing countries as well as natural population increase in the cities. The inevitable development is the rapid growth of urbanization. The theories on urbanization suggest that the responsible government and local council authorities must be prepared to address socio-economic issues such as the provision of formal housing, infrastructure development and employment creation. The governments in developing countries are struggling to balance economic development and the provision of social services. As a result, the human settlement sector is suffering lack of prioritization when it comes to budget and resource allocation. The resultant factors are the overcrowding of the urban population, high housing backlogs and dilapidation of infrastructure visible mostly in the major cities of the developing countries.

This study is an outcome and impact evaluation of Concern Worldwide (CW) community feeding program. Concern Worldwide conducted a community feeding program in Nyanga District in 2012. It was responding to the National Food Report (2011) issued by the government on the food shortages in Nyanga District. The feeding program supported Nyanga communities with nutritional supplements and food provisions to households. The goal of Concern Worldwide was to address the problems of hunger, household food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty which were affecting people in Nyanga. Four evaluation questions about program outcomes were used as a framework for the evaluation and included: How feasible are livelihood feeding schemes as methods of providing food safety net?; How are short-term emergency programmes converted into long term benefits for communities?; What are the interventions available in the program to ensure fulfilment of goals and community empowerment?; What lessons can be derived from the projects that can be used in future by Concern Worldwide and other NGOs involved in emergency and other developmental projects? For the purposes of the study three data sources were consulted. These included program documents, CW officials and beneficiaries. Data collection methods used included face to face interviews and both closed and open ended questionnaires. The qualitative data was analysed through content analysis and presented graphically and descriptively. The findings showed that the community feeding program made some impact through food provisions and agriculture inputs to the beneficiaries which was highly regarded and appreciated. It also managed to provide training on drought resistant crop farming and management of harvests. Monitoring and evaluation of the feeding program was identified as a critical tool in creating efficiency and accountability of the program. Although training was provided to all the beneficiaries, not all were directly involved in the daily routine activities of the program a goal that is not achievable in the context of community feeding program.

Abstract With Harare, Zimbabwe, as my reference city, the aim of the study was to explore and substantiate how architecture and landscape can work together to facilitate platforms for the interaction between ‘‘people and nature’’ and ‘‘amongst the people’’. The theoretical themes that helped guide the investigation are phenomenology, place attachment, ecotherapy, healing environments, environmental psychology and sustainability. Over the years Harare has suffered economic downturn which has led to a rapid disintegration of its socio-economic and biophysical systems including physical infrastructure. This has negatively affected the people, creating an atmosphere of disconnection and apathy towards their environment and to each other. The study pursues the objective of a sustainable antidote for the city through development of a healing environment that would rejuvenate, reconnect and inspire the people of Harare to pursue sustainable life styles. Through renewed and reinvigorated relationships, the people can then begin to build one another and in turn develop a positive attitude towards their environment. No matter what the circumstances we are constantly drawn and connected to nature and to each other in a manner similar to what is often captured under the African spirit of Ubuntu. The design intervention developed into a Therapy Performing Arts Centre embedded in the landscape of an open public space in the city. The spaces engage with nature in order to create a sensual experience that seeks to tone down the pace of the people and get them to appreciate their surroundings and one another. The driving concept for the design was reconnecting through moments of pause and motion. The spaces were inspired by the existing paths as guidelines thus allowing the building and nature to be woven together through experiential journeys within the spaces provided. Embedding the building in the landscape allowed for the creation of an intimate connection to nature in order to re-ignite the humannature relationship and thus restoring balance, development and renewal to the health circle. In turn, and over time, this would begin to heal the human-to-human relationships as well. / MN (2016)

The research investigates whether it is appropriate, practically and theologically, to think of the United Church of Christ in Chipinge, Zimbabwe as a community as set in the struggle against poverty. A number of key questions were asked and explored concerning the context of poverty in Chipinge, the theological grounds for understanding itself as a community asset in the struggle against poverty in Chipinge, and whether the 'asset portfolio' can actually contribute to the eradication of poverty. The thesis is rooted in a contemporary development approach known as Asset Based Community Development which argues that sustainable community life is built on what exists in a community rather than what is lacking. The theory and its relevance are explored in the thesis. Further, drawing on contemporary thinking about missiology and ecclesiology, the thesis argues whether the Church should understand itself as a 'community asset'. This leads to the use of the metaphor taken from Matthew 5: 13, where the people of God are called to be ' the salt of the earth' who would draw others together into a living relationship with God. It is argued that being the salt of the earth requires the Church to take faith into action through utilizing the God given gifts which are available in the Church and Chipinge community. Through a key informant survey of the pastors from seventeen UCC Churches in Chipinge. the thesis demonstrates that the United Church of Christ (UCC) in Chipinge, Zimbabwe, has a range of assets, or what we could call an "asset portfolio" which can and should contribute to the struggle against poverty in the region. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

The Rural Non-Farm Economy (RNFE) is a concept that has gained significance quite recently. Its significance has been prompted by the realisation that agriculture alone cannot sustain the poor subsistence farmers in Zimbabwe. This realisation comes amid the growing concern over increased hunger and poverty in the country‟s rural areas due to a decline in agricultural production. Drawing on the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA) this study postulates that RNFE is a livelihood strategy that can address rural poverty and social transformation in Zimbabwe. Such an approach to rural development can take up the slack and provide the much needed income for the rural communities to survive. However, RNFE has not yet been used as a social mechanism for poverty alleviation in Zimbabwe. Therefore, this study was undertaken with the objective of investigating the prospects and challenges of the RNFE in Seke District. Although the study is focusing on Zimbabwe, the study may also address the problem of rural development in other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study revealed that only a few household heads in Sekewere engaged in both traditional and non-traditional activities. However, the study noted that the household heads encountered many challenges which include; poor market, low income obtained, shortage of inputs, no access to credit and no support from government or other development agencies.Overall, it was recognised that the household heads engaged in RNFE were not realizing the full benefits of RNFE. Therefore, in order to promote the growth of RNFE and make it more productive, the study posits the following key points to be take into consideration by the various stakeholders in rural development; agricultural development, infrastructural development, rural town development, improving access to financial services, facilitating rural-urban linkages and the implementation of development projects aimed at promoting self-employment in the non-farm sector.

This study sought to probe the exclusion of young people from the land distribution process and therefore, overlooking their economic empowerment and development. The focus was on economic empowerment of the youth to participate meaningfully or undertake agricultural initiatives in the resettlement areas of Mutare district in Zimbabwe; youths’ ownership and control of economic assets. The data was gathered using a case study research design with the qualitative method being the main research approach.