ZimLAC urban livelihood assessment exercise begins Food and Nutrition Council director of knowledge management, Ms Perpetual Nyadenga

Nqobile Tshili, [email protected] 

THE Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee (ZimLAC) is today starting an urban livelihood assessment exercise to determine the estimated urban population that is likely to be food insecure and the report will enable Government to implement appropriate interventions.

The Food and Nutrition Council, a department within the Office of the President and Cabinet is responsible for undertaking the ZimLAC report with data collection starting today and ending on February 28.

The multi-sectoral programme includes Government, United Nations agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), academia and other international organisations.

Government will use the information for planning, programming and decision-making purposes.

In Bulawayo, the assessment will be carried out in Makokoba, Nguboyenja, Thorngrove, Emakhandeni, Mpopoma, Entumbane, Matshobana, Pelandaba, Njube, Old Lobengula, and Lobengula Extension.

Other suburbs to be included are Luveve, Gwabalanda, Cowdray Park, Magwegwe, Pumula, Magwegwe, Hyde Park, Pelandaba West, Lobengula, Nketa, Emganwini and Rangemore. 

Food and Nutrition Council director of knowledge management, Ms Perpetual Nyadenga said the livelihood assessment is succeeding the vulnerability assessment with the new one aiming to ensure sustainability of livelihoods. 

“Through the annual livelihoods’ assessments, ZimLAC aims at ensuring a national integrated food and nutrition security information system that provides timely and reliable information on the food and nutrition security situation, the effectiveness of programmes and informs decision making,” said Ms Nyadenga.

“ZimLAC is moving from only vulnerability indicators to a broader sustainable livelihoods based analytical approach. It, therefore, not only looks at livelihoods’ challenges but also captures existing opportunities to improve people’s lives.”

Ms Nyadenga said the specific objectives of the assessment include estimating the urban population that is likely to be food insecure in 2024, their geographic distribution and the severity of their food insecurity.

She said the exercise will also assess the nutrition status of the urban population while describing their socio-economic profiles.

Ms Nyadenga said the exercise will analyse characteristics demographics, access to basic services such as education, health services and water, sanitation and hygiene services, assets, income sources, urban agriculture, incomes and expenditure patterns, food consumption patterns and consumption coping strategies.

She said the exercise will be characterised by urban livelihood options for the urban population and factors impacting these livelihood options.

Ms Nyadenga said through the data collected, the Government will provide practical recommendations to inform humanitarian and developmental interventions for enhanced livelihoods.

Ms Nyadenga said 300 households will be engaged in the collection of data.

“Data from the annual livelihoods’ assessments is critical for informing the development of holistic food and nutrition programmes to ensure that no one and no place is left behind. The Livelihoods Assessments help to inform the development of evidence-driven policies, programmes and interventions, and planning for targeted interventions,” she said.

“It also helps inform short-to-medium- and long-term interventions that address immediate and long-term needs as well as building resilient livelihoods.”

Ms Nyadenga said the outcomes of the report will also inform the national food and nutrition policies and strategies including the National Development Strategy 1, the Food and Nutrition Security Policy and the Zero Hunger Strategy.

She said the programme will monitor interventions to ensure adherence to the principles spelt out in regional and international frameworks to which Zimbabwe has committed itself, including the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme and the Sustainable Development Goals.

“In its endeavour to promote and ensure adequate food and nutrition security for all people at all times, the Government continues to exhibit its commitment towards reducing food and nutrition insecurity, poverty and improving livelihoods among the vulnerable populations in Zimbabwe  through operationalisation of commitment of the Food and Nutrition Security Policy,” she said. — @nqotshili

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