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142 King George Road, Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe Tel: 04 335 048/335 044 website: www.iomzimbabwe.org.zw

IOM ZIMBABWE1st Quarter 2010

IOM and Americares, a nonprofit disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization, donated medicines and nutritional supplements valued at over US$ 500,000 to the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare in Zimbabwe on November 3, 2009. The medical supplies were delivered to two health institutions - Harare Central Hospital and Mutare Provincial Hospital - recommended by the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare.

The donation included antibiotics, topical antiseptics, a variety of analgesics, nutrition supplements and medical supplies, including critical intravenous solutions in order to provide treatment and protection from diseases.

This will assist people suffering from acute infections, injuries, and chronic diseases, as well as provide pre-natal vitamins for pregnant women.

Additionally, the consignment includes hygiene items to help prevent the spread of water-borne diseases such as cholera. Harare and Mutare were among the cities most affected by the cholera outbreak that hit Zimbabwe between August 2008 and July 2009, killing 4,288 people out of nearly 99,000 infected with the disease across the country.

Accepting the donation, the Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Dr. Henry Madzorera said “The Ministry of Health and Child

Welfare is grateful for the generous support from the IOM and Americares in delivering medicine and nutritional supplies to alleviate the plight of those suffering from various ailments and saving lives”.

He challenged other donors and well wishers to follow such a gesture and partner with the Government of Zimbabwe to tackle other health challenges.

IOM and Americares have a long standing global agreement for receiving, distributing and dispensing gift-in-kind medicine and supplies to organizations and health care institutions serving vulnerable and underserved populations around the globe.

Their united effort has helped the people of Zimbabwe for more than a decade. Since 1997, Americares has delivered more than US$ 25 million in humanitarian, disaster, medical, and nutritional aid to Zimbabwe.

DONATION OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES TOHELP TWO HOSPITALS IN NEED

Dr. Henry Madzorera, the Minister of Health and Child Welfare, receives the donation

• Donation of Medical Supplies to Help Two Hospitals in Need

• Safe Zone Youths Perform at DFID Arts Exhibition

• Development of a Database to Strengthen Legislation and Institutional Structures for Migration Management

• Help to Start up a Small Business Project

• Sequenced Return of Health Professionals

• Plumtree Reception and Support Centre Continues to Meet the Needs of Returned Migrants

• Promoting Interountry Collaboration in Disease Prevention and Control – Lessons from the Cholera Outbreak

• Engaging Zimbabwean Diaspora in Socioconomic Reconstruction

• IOM Facilitates Community Planning for Durable Solutions for MVPs

IN THIS ISSUE

IOM ZIMBABWE NEWSLETTER, 1st Quarter 2010 Page 1

Safe Zone Youths Perform at DFID Arts Exhibitions

IOM ZIMBABWE NEWSLETTER, 1st Quarter 2010Page 2

Safe Zone Youths Perform at DFID Arts Exhibitions

Youths from Bulawayo Safe Zone were invited to showcase their talent at a recent Arts Exhibition organized by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) in Harare.

In their usual energetic spirit, the youths chanted songs and performed choreographed danced with key messages on safe migration, HIV and AIDS. Another highlight of their

performance was the drama on human trafficking.

The Exhibition was drawn from the most notable art pieces of an Essay and art competition on safe migration held by the IOM in 2008.

Youths from across the country came up with art pieces in varied forms and essays expressing their views on safe migration. DFID, the donor for the Safe Journey Campaign, ran a week long exhibition at their offices.

DEVELOPMENT OF A DATABASE TO STRENGTHEN LEGISLATION

AND INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURES FOR MIGRATION MANAGEMENT

The migration management regulatory framework in Zimbabwe is fragmented. There is not one statute that deals with all migration issues such as, for example, citizenship, asylum, labour migration, residence, trafficking in persons.

The norms dealing with all migration related issues are dispersed and regulated by various pieces of legislation that include: the Immigration Act, 1996 revised edition, the Constitution of Zimbabwe, Citizenship of Zimbabwe Act, Refugee Act, Customary Marriage Act, and Mental Health Act. There is a need to either promulgate a legislation that regulates migration or amend the existing pieces of legislation to address migration issues.

In order to identify domestic legislation and administrative institutions that deal with migration, IOM worked on a

database, which has revealed that there are 51 pieces of legislation that regulate migration.

The Migration Law database, to be made available on the r e c en t ly l a unched IOM Z imbabwe web s i t e www.iomzimbabwe.org.zw, includes, among other things, information statutes and statute chapters, areas related to International Migration Law, and the responsible authorities.

Zimbabwe is also party to several international and regional instruments in the field of Internal Migration Law. The database provides information on Zimbabwe’s statutes with regard to each of these instruments and on the domestic provisions that implement the provisions of these instruments.

www.iomzimbabwe.org.zw

Help to Start up a Small Business Project



M. M. 21, married, with a two year old child, is all smiles as she plaits one of her client hair at a hair salon. “This is my first client for the day”, she explains. “I have to be quick. It’s the end of the month. Most people come to get their hair done, this room might be full anytime”. M. M. is one of the beneficiaries who received livelihood assistance under IOM’s Livelihood Assistance Project for Populations Affected by Operation Restore Order.

Before this intervention came to Hatcliffe Extension, where M. M. lives, she used to survive on food handouts from the community. Her husband was unemployed and their living conditions were so poor that they couldn’t afford basic food and shelter. The family survived on less than 1 USD per day.

Her household was identified as one of the most vulnerable in the community following an assessment that was carried out by the IOM in order to understand the community’s situation and the impact that small businesses would have on the community.

Amongst a wide range of livelihood disciplines on offer under the project, M. M. opted for hairdressing as she grew up seeing her mother plaiting people’s hair at home. “I have an interest in hairdressing naturally and I wanted to acquire professional knowledge to enhance my skills.”

After enrolling in the hairdressing course, she was trained for a three months in skills training and business management.

The aim of the project is to empower vulnerable individuals with the means to be able to sustain themselves through small businesses.

For M. M., the project has made her what she is today. She can now afford to buy enough food, clothes and blankets for her family. “The hairstyles range from 2 USD to 10 USD. Depending on how many clients I get on an average day and the styles they want, I pocket an average of 20 USD per day”, adds M.M.

One of the challenges to her hairdressing business is the space to operate a proper hair salon. Currently she is using one of the rooms at her aunt’s house and this is being shared by three other hairdressers. “As you can see the room is so small and I don’t have space to store my supplies. I’m thankful for what IOM has done in

terms of affording us some livelihood and hope they continue lobbying the town council to give us spaces to operate from”. Additionally, the other challenge to her hairdressing business is the unavailability of electricity in the area. This means she cannot use some of her electrical supplies such as hairdryers and blowers she received under the project. To alleviate this, she already is putting her savings towards buying a solar panel which would make her work much easier.

Asked on her expectations for the future, M. M. had this to say, “I look forward to being a proud owner of a hair salon here in Hatcliffe Extension, building my own house and being a successful businesswoman”.

A special thank you to the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation for enabling IOM to accomplish a positive step towards empowering these vulnerable communities with the means to be able to sustain themselves. To date, the project has assisted over 225 households in Harare and Mashonaland West Province.

Help to Start up a Small Business ProjectHelp to Start up a Small Business Project

M.M. plaiting her client’s hair



Sequenced Return of Health

Professionals

Interview with Dr.V. M.– Physiotherapist from

Kigali, Rwanda (3 February 2010)

The IOM is currently running a programme to encourage the return of Health Professionals back to Zimbabwe. The following interview was conducted with one health professional.

Tell us about yourself-background, etc.

I’m V. M., a Physiotherapist and Public Health Specialist by profession. I obtained my first degree in Physiotherapy here at the University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences in the early 90s. Currently I’m working with the Kigali Health Institute in Rwanda and I am a senior Physiotherapy lecturer at the institute – the only one in East and Central Africa offering this type of degree programmes. Prior to my leaving for Rwanda, I had been working here at the College of Health Sciences as a lecturer for close to 10 years. I also do some work with the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, where I’m external examiner for the university’s exams. Additionally, I’m a consultant with the Ministry of Health in Namibia. I am also the Deputy Chairperson, Scientific & Technical Committee of the Rwanda National Organizing Committee for the 2010, 4th Health & Scientific Conference.

Where did you hear of the IOM’s programme on the sequenced short-term return of health professionals to Zimbabwe?

When I visited Zimbabwe in June of last year (2009) some of my colleagues from the Faculty of Medicine told me about this programme and asked me if I would be interested in it.

Why were you interested in this programme?

I can see the need. Remember I was once a student and a lecturer here and I know the challenges students face in their studies. It’s also about my contribution to the rebuilding and re-construction of my country, which is a very strong aspect of this programme. Besides, I like being here in Zimbabwe, it’s home and I’m at peace every time I’m here.

Do you think it’s a good idea?

It is a very noble idea. The lecturers here are overloaded and overwhelmed because of the shortage of teaching professionals. This diminishes their administrative and academic capacity to organize programmes and deliver. Through this programme I’m able to share my experience with students and even combine the teaching methods from Kigali with the Zimbabwean ones.

What could be done to improve the programme?

There is need for proper advanced planning on the University side. This means that before even one arrives they should know exactly what they are going to do, when and how. Basic teaching equipment such as flip charts, markers, LCD projectors, bond paper and printers should be organized.

Access to the internet is very much limited at this place for both lecturers and students, which makes it very difficult for student to catch up with current information and data. For example in my case, I had to keep in contact with my office in Kigali during my stay here, but it was difficult to do so all the time given that there is only one port available in the Dean’s office where one is able to use the internet.

How would you evaluate your experience with this programme?

It’s a worthwhile and rewarding experience. You know very well you are addressing a specific skills gap. Like I said, advanced planning is very critical to this programme both from the university side and IOM’s side.

Now I know what the IOM and the University can and cannot offer under this programme.

What advice would you want to give to professionals in the diaspora and the students who are currently doing studies?

To the professionals out there, come back and assist in rebuilding our nation. We really have something to offer and we can’t afford to produce half-baked professionals in our tertiary institutions if we have people in the diaspora who have the technical expertise and skills. As for the students, it’s time for them to move away from lecturer dependant kind of learning, rather they should adopt student based teaching and learning methods to succeed.



The deteriorating socio-economic conditions in Zimbabwe have had adverse telling effects on the general population, and the resultant ramifications have been characterized by high migration, in search for better economic prospects in neighboring countries and beyond. The pull and push economic factors transcend the physical, gender and age divide as Zimbabweans illegally cross the border into Botswana in search of a better quality of life.

Who said, “disability means inability”? asks J. N. while narrating his life experience in Botswana.Twenty eight years ago, J. N. was born physically challenged and this has permanently resided him to a wheelchair. Despite this, he progressed optimistically through life pursuing his passion for performing arts. Having learnt drama and acting in Bulawayo, from King George VI to Form three and with a natural talent for singing; he performs for various audiences whenever he can. Born the youngest into a family of 10 siblings, J. N. and his wife, Lili, crossed over to Botswana through Ngwanyana using an illegal entry point in January 2009 with his nephew and nieces.

For 11 months they lived in Francistown where J. N. performed mainly at a shopping mall, using a radio as the only form of equipment. His wife provided background vocals. He could earn up to 300 Pula (50 USD) per day. He has also been recommended to perform at weddings and schools and at one stage had taken part in a drama group.J. N., his wife and nephews were all arrested together on

What are the things you would like to see improved in the education system?

There is need for curriculum review in all programmes currently offered by this institution. Students should have access to online resources, current journals in their fields of study etc. I have noted with concern that our library has limited capacity in offering this facility. As for the content that lecturers are delivering, they need to adopt more evidence based teaching and learning methods and use more online resources to beef up their teaching materials.

Are you considering coming back to Zimbabwe on the same programme?

Absolutely! This is the only way currently where as a professional you can really feel you have made a positive contribution to your country.

the 24th of November, 2009. He has now decided to make his way back to his Plumtree home until he has the resources to return to the Amakhosi in Bulawayo where he would like to learn another skill- having previously taken a computer course.

“I want to prove my talent to the rest of Zimbabwe or else where. Anywhere I find help, I will stay”. He is greatly supported by his family and his talent and enthusiasm for his trade have encouraged him to continue to spread his music to all those that will listen.

IOM provides humanitarian assistance to Zimbabwean migrants deported from Botswana. This is in the form of advice on safe migration, protection, health assistance, a cooked meal, take-home rations and transport back to their homes in Zimbabwe as well as HIV/AIDS awareness, voluntary testing and counseling. Special interim care is provided for un-accompanied minors. This is overseen by the Department of Social Services with operational support from Save the Children-Norway and technical/logistical support from UNICEF and IOM.

Since the inception of the centre in May 2008 up to December 2009, over 83,000 migrants have been offered assistance.

This assistance is made possible with funding from SIDA, WFP and the Governments of the United Kingdom and Netherlands.

Dr. V. M. at the Faculty of Medicine, Harare

Plumtree Reception and Support Centre Continues toMeet the Needs of Returned Migrants

Plumtree Reception and Support Centre Continues toMeet the Needs of Returned Migrants



Promoting Inter-Country Collaboration in

Disease Prevention and Control –

Lessons from the Cholera Outbreak

Cross-border problems in health such as HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria, cholera and influenza (H1N1) have emerged as major public health concerns along international borders, due to, inter alia, migration, inadequate and inefficient health delivery, and lack of coordination in the implementation of control strategies.

Zimbabwe experienced an unprecedented cholera outbreak between August 2008 and July 2009, which swept across 55 out of 62 districts in all 10 provinces and spread to other countries within the southern African region, namely Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, and Zambia. This clearly illustrates the importance of cross-border collaboration on disease prevention and control.

By 28 July 2009, when the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare declared the outbreak over, the number of suspected cholera cases resumed to nearly 99,000, while 4,288 succumbed as a result of the disease. Zimbabwe was by far the most affected of all the countries in the region.

Nonetheless, cholera is known to be endemic in countries like Zambia and Mozambique. It is widely believed that population movements played a major role in the geographic spread of cholera, in addition to the primary risk factors such as lack of safe water supply, poor sanitation conditions and the rainy season. Cholera cases reported in the immediate border towns of Musina (South Africa), and Francistown (Botswana) are believed to have been spillovers from the cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe.

To address these issues, IOM supported interactive inter-country district-level meetings where public health officials and other technical persons from the Emergency Preparedness and Response teams in contiguous border districts shared experiences on the cholera outbreak.

Experiences and lessons learnt were amassed with the aim to reduce the spread of cholera across the borders, and help to develop joint strategies and plans of action for dealing with future cholera outbreaks in border areas.

The major issue faced during the cholera outbreak was the collaboration at the local level (district-to-district) which has over time been adversely affected by the socio-economic and political challenges in Zimbabwe that have made regular cooperation in such programmes difficult to coordinate and finance. Secondly, disease control and prevention are particularly complex in border areas, as the neighboring districts do not always use the same case definitions, diagnostic criteria, or surveillance methods, making it difficult to compare information on disease incidence and outbreaks, as was the case of reporting on health facility-based cholera deaths between two (Kariba and Hurungwe) districts for example. Administrative and political constraints restricted information sharing across the border.

Furthermore, differences in health policies (e.g., the availability of specific drugs or the cost of treatment) induced residents to travel across the border for specific health services, which rendered difficulties for the port health workers to fully implement cross border disease control measures as stipulated in the International Health Regulations.

The joint social mobilization that resulted in the training of 210 community health volunteers on hygiene promotion and the distribution of IEC materials and water treatment tablets was one of the positive outcomes from the inter-country meetings between Zimbabwe and Mozambique. IOM – Zimbabwe provided logistical support as well as health promotion staff who worked with health officials from both Mbire and Mangwe districts for the training of community health volunteers on both sides of the border. In addition, a mutual understanding was secured on the suspension of user fees in outbreak situations.Some challenges to the cholera response in the border areas were identified as:Right and above: Team of health workers in the border town of Musina



1as a result of poor radio communication infrastructure, lack of transport and human resource shortages within the health system;

2. Lack of reliable transport for investigation teams;3. Inaccessibility to some communities because clinics

were closed at night and during weekends;4. Transmission within families due to poor personal

hygiene practices and frequent travel across the borders;

5. At the onset of the outbreak, the health clinics were poorly stocked with the necessary medical supplies and drugs for optimum case management of suspected cholera patients;

6. Port Health Facilities lack core capacity requirements for screening of travelers, baggage, hazardous substances and cargo, including personal protective equipment.

The benefits of the inter-country meetings during the cholera outbreak include practical, tangible collaboration with counterparts responsible for disease surveillance and control in border districts, resulting in coordinated social mobilization campaigns and mechanisms for sharing information on disease trends. It also included provision of material support (human resources, medical supplies and drugs) to border districts with the greatest needs.

It is important that support for the inter-country collaboration between Zimbabwe and its neighbors is sustained in order to strengthen surveillance, prevention and control, and information sharing for diseases of regional and international concern. The experience from the inter-country meetings has been positive and the IOM’s technical and financial support has been critical to the initiative.

. Poor reporting from the health centers to the district

Facilitating district-to-district, cross-border projects requires sustained work with national and local officials and is more readily achieved by organizations like the IOM that has a substantial in-country presence in both countries. Support from the IOM was clearly welcomed in resuscitating inter-country meetings that have long been acknowledged by health officials as helpful in the identification and prevention, protection, control and provision of public health responses to the international spread of diseases.

Collaboration remains key towards strengthening sub-national and national capacity to detect and respond to disease outbreaks and complying with the International Health Regulations in reporting diseases of international concern and collaborating in the response.

Engaging Zimbabwean Diaspora in Socio-Economic ReconstructionThe Zimbabwean government and IOM in Johannesburg organized a meeting, on 30th October 2009, in order to find ways of engaging the Zimbabwean diaspora living in South Africa in the socio-economic reconstruction and development of their home country.

Funded by the European Union (EU), the meeting was attended by senior Zimbabwean government officials, representatives from Zimbabwe’s private sector and civil society, donors and IOM officials. This was a follow-up to initial consultations that IOM held with Zimbabwean diaspora representatives in South Africa.

Up to an estimated three million Zimbabweans are believed to be living in the diaspora and South Africa is a major destination for Zimbabwean migrants although Zimbabwe has also experienced significant outflows of its nationals to other countries.

Even though many of these migrants contribute in some way to the Zimbabwean economy by sending home remittances, which represented 7.2 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product in 2007, Zimbabwean emigration has had serious implications to the country’s economic growth and development as it has led to significant human resource shortages in key sectors.

The meeting was the first of several that the Zimbabwean government intends to host in countries that have significant numbers of Zimbabwean migrants as Botswana, and the United Kingdom.

A key recommendation of the meeting was the establishment of a Diaspora Desk within government to facilitate ongoing communication between the government and the diaspora community.



In the past, mobile and vulnerable populations (MVPs) in Zimbabwe have been targeted to receive special assistance. However, displacement affects not only those displaced, but also puts pressure on the host communities, their institutions, infrastructure, and strategies. Therefore, IOM is using an MVP-affected area approach to address common recover y goa l s whi l e simultaneously addressing the specific needs of the displaced and vulnerable. If implemented well, this MVP-affected area approach can reduce social divisiveness, gradually reduce the need for specialized assistance, encourage efficiency and coherence in local development strategies , expand assistance to a wider spectrum of beneficiaries, and stimulate extra funding from a broad range of donors.

IOM is putting this approach into practice in the Makoni District, which hosts a large number of MVPs.

To operationalize this strategy, IOM hosted a community planning workshop in the Makoni District in October 2009

that engaged local stakeholders (MVPs, local government authorities, District Councilors, and NGOs).

IOM’s Chief of Mission, Mr. Marce lo P i s an i , encouraged participants to invest in this process of planning and integration of MVPs into mainstream society. The objective of the workshop was to define s t r a t e g i c s t e p s t h a t stakeholders could take to build a better future for all stakeholders, prioritizing t h e mos t vu l n e r abl e households.

An IOM facilitator helped participants t o d e f i n e “ M V P s ,” t o s h a r e unders tandings of MVPs and marginalized populations, and to articulate a common “vision.” The participants defined MVPs simply as populations with lack of basic human rights such as land, shelter, water and sanitation, and other social services.

However, the participants decided to embrace all vulnerable populations including the mobile ones in shaping their Makoni District vision: “An integrated c o m m u n i t y w i t h improved livelihoods and access to social services f o r v u l n e r a b l e popu la t ions in the Makoni District.”

The stakeholders then d iv i d ed i n t o t h re e working groups to discuss

specific areas that they decided were most important for them: 1) Land tenure and water and sanitation, 2) Community education and food security, and 3) Social services, repatriation and access to employment. Plenary sessions allowed for sharing and discussion among groups. During

the plenary discussion, participants agreed upon a list of recommendations, including a way forward.

In the weeks after the workshop, the stakeholders designed an assessment tool to determine needs and future integration strategies of the MVP communities. Those plans are being compared with and integrated into the existing Makoni District Plan.

The shared vision is to generate harmonized plans, stimulate donor investment, reduce social divisions, and b o o s t e c o n o m i c g row t h a n d opportunities. It is hoped that the final result be a “durable solution” for the MVP communities as well as a stronger, more stable, and more productive Makoni District as a whole.

IOM Facilitates Community

Planning for Durable

Solutions for MVPs

Community planning workshop in the Makoni District

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