By Pylaia Chembe
Ashley Marime, 19, sits quietly in her family’s small home in Mwenezi district, Masvingo Province. She fidgets with her hands, her voice barely audible as she recounts a painful chapter of her life.
“I dropped out of school after starting secondary level. There was no money for fees or exam registration. Helping my mother and taking care of my siblings felt like my only option.”
Ashley Marime
Ashley’s story echoes the struggles of many young people in Zimbabwe, where climate change has wreaked havoc on smallholder farming, the lifeline for families like hers.
Droughts and rising temperatures have left crops withered, families struggling, and children—especially girls—facing a bleak future. Dropping out of school is often the only choice, with some girls forced into early marriages or migration for work.
But today, there’s a glimmer of hope. Six years after leaving school, Ashley is preparing to pick up her textbooks once again.
Her dream of becoming a nurse is alive, thanks to a community savings initiative that has given her mother, Chenai Marime, a lifeline.
In 2024, Chenai joined Zvinoda Kushinga, a village savings and lending group—or “mkando” as it’s known locally.
These groups provide a simple yet powerful solution for rural communities, offering a way to save money and access low-interest loans. For families like the Marimes, it has been a game-changer.
“When I got my first share-out from the group, the first thing I did was pay Ashley’s school fees,” Chenai said, her face lighting up with pride. “I finally feel like I can provide for my children’s future.”
The savings group is part of a broader project called Building Climate Resilience of Vulnerable Agricultural Livelihoods in Southern Zimbabwe, launched in 2020 by the government with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Green Climate Fund.
By training extension officers and organizing rural communities into savings groups, the initiative has empowered smallholder farmers, particularly women, to build financial security.
In 2023 alone, nearly 5,000 participants—most of them women—joined 386 savings and lending groups across three provinces.
Together, they saved more than ZAR 2 million and USD 170,000. The money wasn’t just sitting idle; members used it to invest in livestock, farming inputs, and crucially, education.
For Ashley, this initiative is a second chance. “I’m so happy to go back to school,” she says, her eyes brimming with determination. “I can now see a future where I achieve my dream of becoming a nurse.”
Anna Mary Mutawa, chairperson of Zvinoda Kushinga, calls the savings group “insurance for our children’s education.” She proudly shares how her own family has benefited.
“I bought goats, which are already reproducing. We eat better now, and I can sell them if I need money for school fees. I don’t have to rely on just one income source.”
Members of Zvinoda Kushinga Group
These stories are a testament to the power of community-driven solutions in the face of adversity. With climate change continuing to threaten rural livelihoods, initiatives like these savings groups are not just promoting financial independence—they are keeping dreams alive.
Access to reliable credit is one of the major challenge affecting smallholder farmers, especially women, in Zimbabwe.
In the cultural context, most women do not own assets and have no access to education limiting their access to bank loans.
UNDP uses VS&L as a financial inclusion strategy for those who are often not excluded from traditional financial systems.
The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development (MLAFWRD) in partnership with UNDP and financial support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) embarked on a journey to empower vulnerable agricultural communities with management and financial leadership to make them resilient in the face of climate change.
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