2021 SUMMARY

The good news is that Sabona has managed to get through another unusual and challenging year! 2021 became another year with the pandemic and with several new variants of the Covid-19 virus, which has affected us all both directly and indirectly. In Matabeleland North, which is where we work, the consequences of the pandemic are severe and new challenges have appeared beyond what was already known. 

It is argued that the poorest parts of the world are set back by several decades, and extreme poverty is on the rise. The director of Norad Bård Vegard Solhjell states to Dagsavisen that “A generation of progress is turned into regression”. 

Fortunately, the negative impacts of the pandemic on vulnerable communities have diminished because of Sabona’s effective and successful development projects, which has, in turn, become possible through the frequent, stable and enthusiastic support Sabona has received from our partners and donors! 

Here is an overview of some of our accomplishments in 2021:

●      We have distributed food to 1300 children and their families, which means that 4000 people have received nutritious food throughout the year during the school closures (The food stations, which is where the children normally receive their daily nutritious meal, also closed when the schools closed). 409 children ensured schooling (tuition fees) and school supplies through the Sabona sponsorship programme.

●      The tradition of distributing food for Christmas so that families have enough food when they gather for the holiday was completed with great enthusiasm. 635 households received food baskets, which means that more than 3200 people were able to eat enough food throughout the holiday! The following was distributed to each family: 20 kg of cornmeal, 2 kg of sugar, 1 kg of salt, 2 kg beans, 2 kg soy chunks, 2 litres of cooking oil, 2 kg of rice, as well as 1 kg of bar soap.  

●      3 boreholes have been drilled, which provides clean water to more than 2000 people. In addition, there are another 12 boreholes in other villages that have been repaired by those who received a maintenance course by Sabona. This is important for employment and to save the crops in periods of drought, and particularly for school children to prioritize homework and leisure activities rather than the hard work of carrying water.   

●      Sabona has managed to maintain and expand vegetable gardens and poultry production. This includes a successful easter campaign which made it possible to purchase and obtain almost 2500 chickens. 3 chicken farms that can now hold 600 chickens. These important projects ensure access to nutritious food and create work opportunities, which is critical in a country with an unemployment rate higher than 90 %. Widows, teen mothers, children and adolescents who drop out of school, and children who are the head of their families have shown great interest in entering the poultry production industry. Therefore, we focus on training within poultry production and how crops and chickens can be advertised and sold. Pandemic and lockdown have clearly made it more difficult to sell products.    

●      Additional tutoring sessions for students to regain lost learning due to school closures. Sabona has paid local teachers to hold tutoring sessions during the weekends. 26 teachers, of which 18 middle - and high school teachers and 8 elementary school teachers have worked to regain lost learning among students so they can pass national exams and move on to the next grade level! This is a very important objective for Sabona. To drop out of school can have severe consequences. In addition, a highly successful “Career day” was organized to motivate students to complete school.    

●      21 new jobs are created, and Sabona has in total established 391 jobs through our projects. This is extremely useful to combat poverty and it creates hope for a better future. The project Youth Empowerment is established to take care of those who drop out of school and provide help with employment within food production, among other things. This project also focuses on information about vaccination, harassment of all kinds, rights, gender discrimination, violence, and mental health.  

●      We have a high focus on information campaigns regarding vaccination against Covid-19, as the skepticism is large and there is little information and a lot of misconceptions and conspiracy theories. Sabona has contributed to providing vaccines in Matabeleland North, as well as providing protective equipment for schools and clinics. Posters containing information about the virus and protective measures are hung up by boreholes and other places where people normally gather.   

●      Many patients have received essential medical help and vital surgical procedures, and Sabona ensures that the villages are visited monthly by a doctor. This is of great value for all of those who do not have the means or the opportunity to travel several miles to the nearest hospital or to pay the hospital bill. 

●      The layout made by Sabona Development Centre (SDC) is planned out and the construction will be done in several stages. The first stage is to build a chicken coop with room for 1500 chickens. SDC will become a place for training, sales, and production, which will create jobs for future generations.   

●      Previous commenced work is completed: a dilapidated classroom is secured and renovated, and a large new school kitchen is ready for use. This means that students have a safe and comfortable learning environment, rather than being in an unsafe classroom or outdoor under a tree. It will also be much easier to prepare school lunches for hundreds of students under a roof.  

Education creates hope.

Food production is very important in Matabeleland North, where the food shortages are huge. There is no guarantee for a daily meal. 

Thank you

Many people in Zimbabwe go days without any food. We see children and adolescents, mothers and fathers in desperation across the country. Prostitution and child marriage are on the rise. According to the World bank, more than five million people (⅓ of the population) will not have enough food. As we know, there are large inequalities in terms of the distribution of vaccines, and many African countries are way behind the rest of the world. Sabona has a long experience with changes and critical situations, and we have been quick to deal with the crises that have appeared during the pandemic. We continue to work hard, and we believe that 2022 and the future will become improved for everyone. We wish to educate more people and create more jobs, and we do everything we can to ensure a brighter future for the next generations! 

Thank you for contributing to creating long-term changes and hope for a better future!

Here is an appreciation message from our team in Bulawayo:

“We give thanks to Sabona Norway for their unwavering support in ensuring that Sabona continues to change lives in communities. The community developmental initiatives in Zimbabwe did not collapse during these challenging times and for that, we say “Tusen takk” (Thank you)”

Thank you! Tusen takk! Twalumba loko! Siyabonga! Twalumba loko!  Siyabonga!