ZIMBABWE HIV/AIDS: LEARNING TO LIVE WELL

ICA-USA has been partnering with ICA Zimbabwe on The Zimbabwe 50 Communities project, a five-year project that intends to do 50 yearlong HIV/AIDS campaigns in 50 communities in and around Harare. ​

The campaign itself will be a demonstration of communities that can respond to the epidemic effectively themselves, using their own energy and determination with minimal outside assistance and resources.
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One year campaigns will engage leaders and villages who are serious about getting the crisis under control. The role of Institute of Cultural Affairs Zimbabwe is to provide a toolkit to do so, and training on how to use it. Residents will modify the tool kit and implement the strategies in the way that is appropriate for their community.

Currently the project is working in four communities outside Harare, plans to expand to eight new communities in 2014, and twelve new communities in each of 2015, 2016, and 14 new neighborhoods in 2017 for a total of 50 communities reached.

This year ICA Zimbabwe’s HIV/AIDS project was chosen as an Advanced Special of the United Methodist Church’s Board of Global Ministries. This designation allows any Methodist Church to support the work. Tuesday, December 3, the General Board of Global Ministries had a dollar for dollar match for any money given. Through the generous support of Louise Singleton, Bob True, Lynda Cock and many others over $23,000 was raised and matched for a total of $46,000 given to support the Zim 50 project.

Cumulatively, the anticipated cost of $296,500 is planned to affect 400,000 people. This project is the living embodiment of ICA Zimbabwe’s by-line of Community Empowerment in Zimbabwe. There’s no question ICA Zimbabwe’s talented and dedicated staff is well-suited to mount this demonstration in 50 communities over five years. While no one can or will do the job that communities must do for themselves, ICA Zimbabwe is enthusiastic about enabling 50 communities to take hold of this threat in their midst.