Bvute/Umthunzi: Caring for our Elders

A holistic program to improve elders' lives in Chegutu through healthcare, socioeconomic inclusion, and community support, addressing health and loneliness.

Municipality

ZW
Chegutu, Mashonaland Oeste,

Category / Sub-Category / Topic

Human development, Elderly

Type of investment needed

Grant

Associated SDGs

The challenge

According to figures from the National Department of Social Development, about 70% of the elderly population (65 years and above) in Chegutu are affected by neglect. This results in poor health and loneliness.

The project

This project seeks to improve the quality of life of the elderly in Chegutu by addressing their healthcare needs, promoting their socioeconomic inclusion and strengthening community support for the elderly. According to official statistics, roughly 1,320 elders in Chegutu find themselves in a situation of economic vulnerability and are affected by loneliness.

Our intervention plan is multi-pronged by design, and combines advocacy with provision of healthcare services. On the one hand, we advocate for a change of perception in society to combat stigma against old age and for inclusive socioeconomic policies that do not leave the elderly behind. On the other, we provide healthcare services (both directly through our volunteer-based healthcare centre and indirectly through referrals to our healthcare provider partners) which include, among other things:

  • monitoring and managing chronic diseases
  • providing access to preventative and curative medications
  • providing mental health-related services to deal with the adverse effects of loneliness and social isolation
  • (re)connecting the elderly with families and friends, as well the community more generally

The initiative is innovative in that it is a comprehensive program integrating social, mental and physical health aspects. We believe this is of paramount importance because ensuring one's well-being requires that various interconnected needs (economic, emotional, health, etc.) be met. Accordingly, we believe our approach is comprehensive and well-balanced.

An important process that helped shape the initiative was a validation carried out with people affected by the problem, during which we deployed various research strategies, such as face-to-face interviews, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions. This enabled us to gain invaluable insights into the causes of the problem and how the elderly themselves felt. Subsequently, we adapted our intervention in order to implement the lessons learned, including registering as a non-profit, recruiting an elderly person to join our board so that there is always a voice with direct experience of the problem, and prototyping and validating our organizational strategy.

Know more...


Chegutu municipal area is a town of 66,260 people that survives on formal and informal mining activities. There is also a strong component of commercial farming that goes on in areas the town borders with. Residents also survive on informal economic activities.

According to figures from the National Department of Social Development, as many as 70% of Chegutu's elderly population suffer from neglect. This has resulted in poor health and loneliness. Diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, and prostate, cervical, and breast cancers are poorly managed as the healthcare system is critically under-resourced. A significant proportion of this population also suffers from loneliness and social isolation. As families disperse to find work elsewhere in the country and beyond, the elderly have been left to care for themselves. State sponsored social care system for the elderly is inadequate to meet their needs.

Among the main causes of the problem are:

  • poverty, which affects the elderly by limiting their ability to access essential services such as healthcare and clean water,
  • decline in healthcare quality, which sometimes means the elderly have to live with untreated health conditions,
  • loss of family members and friends, and an unsupportive community contributes to loneliness,
  • the combination of poverty, poor health and loneliness leads to mental health problems, and
  • the prevailing economic malaise in Zimbabwe, which has eroded personal savings and pensions of many retirees.


  • Improved management of chronic conditions: Conduct workshops/clinic days to raise awareness among the elderly of chronic conditions and equip them with relevant knowledge to manage such ailments properly. We began doing this in August 2024 and the initiative has been a major success as attendance among the target population has been more than satisfactory. We do not conduct the workshops at regular intervals but rather as and when we feel it is necessary.
  • Encourage regular screening for health conditions common among the elderly. Contact regularly the target population to provide advice on health conditions and preventative procedures. To do so, we keep a record of the names, physical addresses, and contact details.
  • Lobby the Chegutu Municipality to improve socioeconomic benefits afforded to the elderly, especially without sufficient savings
  • Therapy Groups for Mental Health Support: Form therapy groups led by qualified professionals to address mental health needs. We have partnered with organizations and health professionals in Chegutu with relevant skills and expertise to handle referrals effectively.
  • Create social groups to support reintegration of lonely elders into the community. Social groups vary in size and are interest-based; members join a particular group based on their personal interests, such as football, walking, dance, singing, drawing, cooking, etc. We began doing this in August 2024.
  • Increase the human resource capacity and size of our volunteer-based healthcare centre: Run a recruitment drive to double the existing number of volunteers -6 health professionals-. Conduct renovation work to extend the building volume of the centre.
  • Support economic empowerment of the elderly by equipping them with the required skills, knowledge and other resources to practice subsistence farming and rabbitry.

Direct results:

  • 120 elderly people trained in management of chronic conditions.
  • 1320 elderly people participating in therapy groups, social clubs and trainings.

Expected impact:

  • Reduce to 35% the amount of people suffering neglect in Chegutu in a year


  • Department of Social Development (Provincial Office in Mashonaland West)
  • Ministry of Women’s Affairs (Provincial Office Mashonaland West)
  • Chegutu Residents Association
  • Chegutu Business Association

  • Edson Muchenjekwa, Social worker (edmuchenjekwa@gmail.com).
  • Admire M. Mapasure, Global trainer, HOSPAZ (ammapasure@gmail.com).
  • Freddy Tonderayi Munemo, Teacher (freddymunemo@gmail.com).
  • Edward Dzeka, Deputy Mayor, Chegutu Municipality (edwarddzeka@gmail.com).

Investment

(*): In kind/pro bonus

(**): Financing

Goods and inputs
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

Refrigerios para todas las reuniones con nuestros beneficiarios (incluidos los talleres semanales) durante los primeros 2 años. (*) (**)

u$s 2500.00

u$s 200.00

u$s 2300.00

Cunicultura, 30 conejos y costos relacionados, incluidos los gastos veterinarios. (*) (**)

u$s 5000.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 5000.00

Terreno agrícola en Chegutu para practicar agricultura de subsistencia. (*) (**)

u$s 2100.00

u$s 100.00

u$s 2000.00

4 computadoras de escritorio para enseñar alfabetización informática. (*) (**)

u$s 1500.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 1500.00

Papelería. (*) (**)

u$s 308.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 308.00

Services
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

Monitoreo y evaluación. (*) (**)

u$s 1000.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 1000.00

Impresión, carteles y folletos durante 2 años inicialmente (incluye distribución mensual de cientos de folletos con consejos de salud útiles para los adultos mayores). (*) (**)

u$s 1448.00

u$s 20.00

u$s 1428.00

Servicios de Internet y contabilidad. (*) (**)

u$s 1100.00

u$s 20.00

u$s 1080.00

Human resources
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

4 entrenadores a medio tiempo para alfabetización digital y agricultura de subsistencia durante los primeros 6 meses de la primera fase de implementación. (**)

u$s 1800.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 1800.00

2 oficiales de programa calificados a medio tiempo para liderar nuestro programa de extensión durante la duración de la primera fase de implementación (1 año). (**)

u$s 6000.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 6000.00

Others
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

Beca de transporte para ayudar a cubrir el costo del pasaje de bus de 15 voluntarios como máximo que viajan desde sus hogares a la oficina durante la primera fase de implementación (1 año). (**)

u$s 958.00

u$s 200.00

u$s 758.00

Dinero de emergencia para atención médica (para nuestros beneficiarios) no disponible en nuestro centro de salud. (*) (**)

u$s 1200.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 1200.00

Costos de viaje ordinarios y misceláneos para todo el personal para apoyar las operaciones diarias durante 2 años inicialmente. (*) (**)

u$s 2500.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 2500.00

TOTAL AMOUNTS:

u$s 27414.00

u$s 540.00

u$s 26874.00

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