Fight against poverty and inequality

In September 2000 during the UN Millennium Summit, the Millennium Declaration was adopted by 189 nations and signed by 147 heads of states. They agreed upon a set of goals known as the Millennium Development Goals which respond to the world's main development challenges. With the attainment of these goals, billions of people will benefit from the global economy and millions of lives can be saved. It is only three years to the target and an assessment of the strides Zimbabwe has made and what needs to be done is essential.

Goal 1

Reducing poverty and hunger by half by 2015

Contrary to what we see on the streets and in rural areas, there has been a sharp increase in the number of poor people both in the urban and rural areas. With the availability of cheap Chinese clothes, there has been a rise in disguised poverty. Where in the past you could readily identify charity cases by the way they were dressed, today it is not surprising to be asked for bus fare home by someone who does not look as if they are in need of serious help; even street kids are well dressed and well kept. Industry has not been performing well and as a result the rate of the unemployed has risen alongside white collar crime. Children are dropping out of school to become Joni – Jonis/njivha (those who illegally cross the border to work in neighbouring South Africa). The depressed global commodity market has not helped matters either; case in point are the cotton farmers in Gokwe and around the country who because they are forced to sell their cotton crop at 30cents a kilogramme are failing to service their loans and send their children to school this year. Zimbabwe still has a long way to go.

Goal 2

Ensuring all children complete primary education by 2015

Because of the lack of progress in goal 2, there has been a sharp rise in the number of school drop outs especially girls. This problem is not prevalent in the rural areas only but has started being a serious cause for concern in the urban and Peri urban areas. Young women are found of the streets at all hours of every given day doing what Thomas Deve an Anti Poverty Campaigner calls 'eking out a living on the streets' – ranging from vendors, money changers to prostitutes. The proliferation of private colleges around the country some with dubious intentions has compromised the education system. Whilst in terms of education we seem to have made gains, the quality of the education is highly suspect.  This problem is serious in the Peri urban and rural areas where teachers are not delivering the service as they should especially in the resettled areas where people just turn a house into a school without the say so of the ministry of education. The pulling out of BEAM (the Basic Education Assistance Module) by UNICEF has raised worries that those children who have been receiving assistance from the program will stop going to school.When a girl child drops out of school and starts 'working' the street, she has already compromised her ability to negotiate safe sex, which greatly impacts the attainment of goal 5.

Goal 3

Increasing gender equality and empowering women by 2015

A few years ago we made great strides in respect of ensuring gender equality and empowering women. On paper that is still the case, but in the last elections there were reversals in this regard; less women are in government and positions of authority. We have regressed and gender parity has become a joke; a young man will not stand up for an old woman/pregnant woman because 'women demand equal rights'. Common courtesy is no longer common. What equal opportunities mean is women have as much right to get an education and employment as men. They should not be discriminated against because they are women. In this regard we are failing miserably.

Goal 4 and 5

Reducing maternal and child mortality by three quarters 

More people are dying giving life and children especially under 2s are dying because of the lack of supportive structures like hospitals. HIV is a contributory factor. The government is severely pressured and cannot provide all the help that is needed. It is also because of poverty that women cannot afford to pay for antenatal visits which severely compromises their reproductive rights. The aggressive campaigning by the ministry of health has helped in keeping the numbers of those dying but more work needs to be done. Thokozani Khupe the senior Member of Parliament for the Makokoba constituency and the Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe has professed that she is to be the goodwill ambassador for maternal and child health.

Goal 6

Halting and reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS and combating malaria and other diseases.

HIV new infections rate is low but for the infected to get on to the Anti Retro viral Treatment program takes a long time especially if you are in town. Non – Governmental organisations like FACT and CARE as well as Mission Hospitals like Howard Hospital are providing better health care. FACT helps in the testing and CD4 count tests and Howard hospital helps in the care which is lacking at government hospitals. With Malaria and TB we have made many gains and this is because of the knowledge base as well as medication being available. The availability of the home based care programme has helped shift the burden of care from the resource strapped hospitals to the relatives who give better care and ensure swift recovery. Residual spraying was not done this year so mosquito control especially in areas like Harare is worrying. Others say though that the presence of the mosquito population in the city is related to climate change.

Goal 7

Ensuring environmental sustainability by 2015

There is a lack of consciousness of the environment and as a result the country is vulnerable when there is too much or too little rain. Because there is no disaster mitigation, we are prone to every natural disaster that comes our way. There are human made challenges which have contributed to our failure in ensuring that the environment is sustainable. In mining blasting frightens the animals and they move away from the natural habitat disturbing the ecosystem. Cutting down trees indiscriminately denudes forests and make way for desertification. Pollution especially the dumping of chemicals into rivers kills marine life. There is even speculation that in 20 years Lake Chivero at the rate we are going will have ceased to be a life force it is. The invasion of wetlands like in Unit M in Chitungwiza for housing or business is another such man made challenge. We have seen the effects of global warming and still people do not change.

Goal 8

Develop a global partnership for development

We quarrel with our neighbours and we have lost our dignity. We are not getting much aid. Along with Chad and Central African Republic we have felt the effects of the discontinued ODA (Official Development Assistance). We are not able to pay our debt to IMF but trade especially in diamonds and platinum has managed to keep the country running. The penetration of mobile phones and computers has meant advances in technology. As citizens we are all over the globe; in G West in Botswana you will find Zimbabweans of all sorts, Zimbabweans have taken over sections of Hillbrow which used to be run by Nigerians, there is a Harare North in the UK. The global environment is hostile and we are not loved by anyone as a nation. We are not doing well.

These goals are noble goals. The conditions are much better than when we started twelve years ago. There is a sense of optimism brought on by the diaspora earning from platinum and diamonds. The government though says realistically that it will not be able to meet all goals by 2015. Zimbabwe has a very good policy framework but implementation is a very big problem. There is need to plug loopholes especially corruption, ethical leadership and institutional revival (value system) and reinvigorate the policing system which is thoroughly corrupt. The government recently announced there are going to be acceleration plans for goals 1, 2, 4, and 6. By taking care of these four goals, all the other goals will become attainable. But it takes more than government plans to make any progress.

How do we as individuals contribute to the attainment of these goals?

1. Advocacy
2. Work with parliament
3. Direct interaction with ministers
4. Mobilisation of public opinion: take advantage of days on the UN calendar for example October 15 the international day of rural women, November 16 days of activism

It takes one person to make a difference. Be that one person.

peace,

fadz

This information was provided by Thomas Deve the Anti-Poverty Campaigner with the UN Millennium Development Agency