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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Online Reporter

THE International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has allocated US$2 million towards establishing income generating projects to assist vulnerable people who lost their jobs in the diaspora due to Covid-19.

The project, which is still at its preliminary stage, will benefit households in Matabeleland South, Masvingo and Manicaland Provinces. IOM had deployed its officers together with personnel from various Ministries to conscientise villagers about the project and assess the impact of Covid-19 on livelihoods.

The community leaders working with various structures at ward and village level together with the Department of Social Welfare will then identify beneficiaries. IOM will then assist beneficiaries with funding to pursue various income generating projects.

The project which will run for two years is being funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

A number of households have been left vulnerable after their bread winners have lost their jobs in the diaspora due to Covid-19.

According to IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) baseline assessments from February 2021, approximately 152 000 people in Zimbabwe were affected by protracted crises, including drought, food insecurity, limited employment opportunities and the socio-economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Over 300 000 Zimbabweans have returned to the country due to the pandemic.

In an interview IOM Zimbabwe spokesperson, Ms Fadzai Nyamande-Pangeti said the livelihoods projects sought to assist affected families with long lasting solutions to their problems. She said this was a shift from their usual intervention of providing emergency support.

“As IOM we have received US$2 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) towards ensuring livelihood support for vulnerable communities in Zimbabwe from November 2021 to November 2022. The project will provide psychosocial support and income-generating activities that will reintegrate and build resilience for returnees in Masvingo, Manicaland, and Matabeleland South provinces,” she said.

Ms Nyamande- Pangeti added: “This support is in addition to the USAID-supported project in Manicaland already providing transitional shelter and camp coordination and camp management assistance for Cyclone Idai survivor,” she said.

Ms Nyamande- Pangeti said IOM will engage consultants who will assess each area and identify appropriate income generating projects which beneficiaries can pursue.

She said the project will support 3 600 vulnerable households (15,480 individuals). She said the project will address protection challenges by strengthening the dissemination of information, counselling, and referral services that will provide socio-economic revitalisation assistance through income-generating activities.

“For now we are collating information and assessing the level of needs for each community. Once beneficiaries have been identified consultants will come in to identify viable and appropriate projects for communities. We have been monitoring the situation at the borders and we have noticed that a number of returnees have lost their jobs but they want to go back in a bid to fend for their families. This project seeks to address the socio- economic impact of the pandemic,” said Ms Nyamande- Pangeti.

She said the project will offer livelihood support packages that include skills training, tutoring, and the development of income-generating activities. Ms Nyamande- Pangeti said furthermore 285 000 individuals will receive early warning and disaster risk information for their areas that help them make informed decisions and plan how they can reduce the impact of impending disasters.- @DubeMatutu