RESTLESS DEVELOPMENT

ZIMBABWE
NATIONAL STRATEGY 2011-2015

Nearly half the population is under 25.

Thats 5 Million people.

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CONTENTS
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Who we are
What we have done so far
Why young people
Our aim for 2015
What we will do
How we will do it
Direct Delivery
Generation of Leadership
Building a Strong Youth Sector
Shaping Policy and Practice
Sharing and Learning
Where we work
What they say
How we fit into the big picture
Measuring our work
Hungry for more

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WHO WE ARE
We are the leading youth-led development agency in Zimbabwe,
with over 25 years experience in the field. Since 1985 we have been
delivering for, engaging and supporting young people to address the
most urgent issues such as livelihoods, health and education facing
Zimbabwe. We have been cited as best practice by UNICEF, UNAIDS
and the World Bank for our unique youth-led methodology.
We are restless because the problems facing Zimbabwe persist and
we want to resolve them. Young people across Zimbabwe share this
restless determination to make things better. When we channel this
energy into development work, anything is possible.

WHAT WE
HAVE DONE
SO FAR
In the last 3 years

IN 2010 WE

We actively participated in youth forums at national

level, facilitating youth input into the constitution-making
process and the review of the National Youth Policy

Trained and supported 62 young Zimbabweans

as volunteers to deliver programmes for 9
months, reaching over 19 000 young people in 31
communities

We empowered over 180 young Zimbabweans as

volunteers to deliver integrated Sexual and Reproductive
Health Rights (SRHR) programmes.
We built the capacity of 150 Health Centre staff to deliver
youth-friendly services
Our volunteers led 2 790 home visits to provide
psychosocial support to people living with HIV and
supported adoption of safer sexual practices among
young people in 31 communities

Delivered 3 580 Sexual and Reproductive Health

sessions, reaching 19 270 young people in 93
schools
Distributed 66 498 condoms across 5 districts
Led 150 Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights
awareness-raising events
Trained 560 teachers and health workers to deliver
youth friendly information and services.

WHY YOUNG
PEOPLE
ZIMBABWE
Zimbabwe is young. Over 40% of Zimbabweans are under 241.
The challenges facing Zimbabwe disproportionately affect
young people. Yet the potential of these 4.8 million young people,
individually and as a group, is staggering. Increased youth
livelihoods can drive economic growth, fighting unemployment
at home and reducing the number of young people migrating to
other countries in search of work. Young people making informed,
safe sexual decisions can reduce the negative impacts of HIV/
AIDS and make for a healthier population. Including young people in
decision-making strengthens civil society and decreases the risk
of unrest, proving that young people are not negative or violent but
rather agents for positive societal growth.

OUR AIM
FOR 2015
YOUNG
40% of Zimbabweans are under the age of 24.

OUR VISION
Young people taking a leading role in the development of
themselves, their communities and their country with support.

OUR MISSION
To place young people at the forefront of change and
development.

VULNERABLE
Young Zimbabweans especially girls aged
between 15 and 24 are vulnerable to HIV as result of
engagement in high risk sex 2.

TO MAKE THIS A REALITY, WE HAVE

THREE BIG GOALS
Livelihoods & Employment

01 

Development Progress and

challenges
One of the key achievements in Zimbabwe is the decline of HIV
prevalence from 33% in the 1990s to 13.1% in 20103. However,
there is increasing concern of a reversal of this trend as the
number of people treated for STIs, particularly young people,
increased sharply in 2010. Poverty and lacking livelihoods
fuel risky sexual behaviour among young people, especially
young women resulting in intergenerational relationships.
Unemployment remains a principal challenge facing young
Zimbabweans; up to 70% of youth are unemployed. This desperate
situation has resulted in young people migrating to Botswana,
South Africa and other countries.

LOOKING FORWARD
Young people in Zimbabwe are faced with significant
challenges, yet they have enormous potential to
respond to the development needs of the country.
Living safe, healthy lives and supporting their peers,
young people can continue the progress in reducing
HIV prevalence. Creation of youth livelihoods will
support macro-economic growth, and greater
participation in decision-making processes will
increase peace and stability nationally.
To make this potential a reality, Restless
Development will continue to harness the positive
energy of young people. Our work will improve
young peoples livelihoods and access to sexual
and reproductive health information and services.
This will be reinforced through leadership and
participation of young people, giving them a voice in
decision-making processes. Restless Development
in Zimbabwe will continue to be a professional,
values-driven organisation inspiring confidence
in the communities, young people, civil society
partners, donors and government departments with
whom we work.

Young people will have improved livelihoods and employment

opportunities.

Sexual & reproductive

health & rights

02 

Young people will make informed decisions about their sexual and
reproductive health that lead to healthy lives.

CIVIC PARTICIPATION

03 

Young people will actively participate and influence in decisionmaking processes in Zimbabwe.

Restless Development volunteer Gideon Talking to

Savoiour Kasukuwere, Minister of Youth Development,
Indigenisation and Empowerment

Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey, 2006

National AIDS Council: Modes of Transmission Study, 2010
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National HIV and AIDS Estimates, 2010
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WHAT WE
WILL DO
1. Livelihoods and
Employment

While the national economy is on the recovery path, there

is a need to ensure that it provides opportunities for young
people to engage in meaningful livelihoods and employment
opportunities. This directly supports macroeconomic
growth. In order to achieve this, we will ensure that
Young people in target communities are employed or
setting up businesses, contributing to household income
Young people in target communities access financial
and material resources from private and public institutions

2. Sexual and Reproductive

Health

DIRECT
DELIVERY
Working directly with young people is the foundation for everything we do.

3. Civic Participation

A key challenge facing young people in Zimbabwe

is exclusion from decision-making processes. This
has resulted in policies and practices at national and
community levels that do not respond to the needs
of young people. There is also limited engagement
between young people and policy makers. In order to
address these challenges we will ensure that:

CLASSROOM LESSONS

Young People are engaged in strategy planning,

budgeting and implementation processes in
community, district and national development
structures
We will train other civil society organisations to
deliver programmes that strengthen young peoples
participation in decision making processes.

OUT-OF SCHOOL COURSES

We will reach 70 000 people over the next

5 years through youth-led, evidencebased programming at community level.
Direct delivery gives us credibility and
experience and is the foundation for our
other approaches.

YOUTH CLUBS & CENTRES

PUBLIC EVENTS

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PEER ADVICE

Despite the overall reduction in HIV prevalence across the

country, young people continue to be at risk of contracting
HIV due to lacking youth friendly services and information
on Sexual & Reproductive Health and HIV. We will continue
to support young people to take up safer sexual practices
and will ensure:

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Reduction of pregnancy-related school drop outs

OUR WORK IN ACTION

Increase in the number of young people making safer

choices regarding their sexual health behaviour

Support 6200 young people

accessing business and employment
schemes and training
Support 120 young people to
complete vocational training
Reach 15 500 young people with
comprehensive SRHR programme
Engage 9 300 young people in
income generating activities
Train 3 000 young people on
leadership, civic education and
advocacy

Improved access to youth friendly sexual health

services from health centres

HOW WE
WILL DO IT

In order to creation sustained, meaningful impact, we will achieve our

goals through five core approaches:

Direct Delivery
GENERATION OF LEADERSHIP
BUILDING A STRONG YOUTH SECTOR
SHAPING POLICY AND PRACTICE
Sharing & Learning

WE WILL

Heart Connection Tour - Harare

Please read on for detail on our approaches.

GENERATION OF
LEADERSHIP

BUILDING A STRONG
YOUTH SECTOR

Long-term, systemic change requires better leadership.

There are three billion young people in the world.

We cant possibly reach them all on our own. Nor should we.

In order to effect the desired change,

we will harness the energy and
skills of over 500 young people that
we have trained over the years to
become leaders at all levels and
continue to meaningfully contribute to
development in Zimbabwe. Our alumni
will support these young leaders
through career and professional
development, engaging our alumni to
support our goals.

WE WILL

In order to deepen the impact of

our work, we will provide targeted
technical support to youth-focused
civil society organisations. This
support will ensure that targeted
organisations have minimum
standards in programme delivery
and organisational management,
ultimately reaching more young
people through a stronger youth
sector.

WE
OUR WORK IN ACTION

WE WILL

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Have 500 members registered in

the alumni network database and link
them to each other
Provide 20 alumni with professional
experience through securing
internships and mentoring

OUR WORK IN ACTION

WE WILL
Support 10 civil society
organisations to deliver youth
programmes
Create partnerships with 10 civil
society organisations and 5 private
sector organisations.

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SHARING
AND
LEARNING

We know we can help an individual change behaviour in a positive way.

But if we want progress, that change has to last in the long-run and
impact everyone.

We are always on the ground, applying new thinking, different tactics and
experiencing first-hand how effective youth-led development models are
and how we need to improve them.

ERNMEN
OV

SHAPING
POLICY AND
PRACTICE
POLICY

DEVELOPMENT
PLANS

Influencing systemic change is critical

to advance the youth development
agenda and increase the responsible
engagement of young people in
decision-making at all levels. Through
our approach of Shaping Policy and
Practice we will work with strategic
partners, both government and
non-government, to help work more
effectively with and for young people.

IND S
IA OUT
A

YOU
SEC TH
TOR

SIE
LEORRA
NE

LIV
ELI
HOO
UGA
DS
ND

Through the years, we have developed

expertise in youth-led development
and we continue to learn from our
work and that of others.

FRI H
CA

NEP
AL

UK

OUR WORK IN ACTION

OUR WORK IN ACTION

Support 93 schools to meet
government requirements on
delivery of vocational subjects
Support 35 health centres and 93
schools to deliver comprehensive
sexual health education

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WE WILL
Apply new thinking, innovations
and experiences to increase
the effectiveness of youth-led
development models
Generate evidence to shape
development policy and practice at
national and international levels
Create and share 10 good practice
publications based on the above
learnings

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WHERE
WE WORK

HARARE
HWEDZA
CHIMANIMANI

BULILIMA

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PLUMTREE
MANGWE

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WHAT
THEY
SAY
Its a different and brilliant programme, we are in full
support of the programme so keep on educating the youth
to discover and learn, not to discover and experiment. They
need guidance because we acknowledge the fact that they
have the energy so if we synthesize our efforts we will
come out with something fruitful.

How can I be part of this network of young people who are

making a difference in other young peoples lives? I feel
very inspired and honoured to have leant of the work that
you are doing and this gives us motivation as the Junior
Parliament to work even harder to represent young people
at policy level.

Mr Toedzi Ministry of Labour and Social Services at the

Harare Agricultural Show in Harare in 2010

Mr Muneni Chirinda [17 years old] - Former Junior Parliament

Vice President for 2010 -2011. He has since become involved
through training and capacity development for junior
parliamentarians

Restless Development has contributed immensely in

addressing the psycho-social needs of young people
in the Hatcliffe community, especially for the orphans
and vulnerable children. Through their programmes
young people have demonstrated that they can make a
difference in their community by being actively involved in
programmes facilitated by Restless Development.
Mrs Yeukai Nhenderere - District Social Welfare Officer

My confidence was boosted by this experience and I am

now able to think, stand on my own, to make informed
decisions about my life and to differentiate between good
and bad, peer pressure does not affect me anymore as
I know who I am and I am proud of it! Thanks to Restless
Development, you guys changed my life.
Mr Adrian Phiri - Restless Development Volunteer 2011,
Plumtree

HOW WE
FIT INTO
THE BIG
PICTURE
Millennium Development
Goals
Our goals are contributing to the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs). As the 2015 target for the MDGs draws near; there are
still huge gaps in realising the commitments in Zimbabwe. As
Restless Development, we will play a key role in mobilising and
pushing for increased participation of young people
Our new strategy will ensure that we continue to work with
stakeholders to accelerate progress towards the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs).

ERADicate extreme
hunger and poverty

01 

We will continue to improve food security and nutrition through

our livelihoods programmes, ensuring that young people are
able to contribute to household income, thereby contributing to
eradication of poverty in the target communities. In addition,
our advocacy work will target government to avail resources
to agricultural based income generating activities for national
food security.

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Combat HIV/AIDS,
malaria, and other
diseases
06

We will target 15 500 young people, in and out

of schools, with comprehensive sexual and
reproductive health information through sessions
and awareness campaigns in order to contribute
towards combating the spread of HIV and facilitate
access to treatment for young people living with HIV.
We will also target orphans and vulnerable children
to ensure that they access education.

ENSURE
ENVIRONMENTAL
SUSTAINABILITY
07

The achievement of our strategy is underpinned by

our progress in young peoples participation in agrobased livelihoods initiatives. We will ensure that our
livelihoods activities are environmentally friendly
and we will work with the relevant stakeholders at
local level, including the Environmental Management
Agency to ensure that methods adopted contribute to
environmental sustainability.

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MEASURING
OUR WORK

HUNGRY
FOR MORE?

Our strategy is linked to a logical framework that shows how it will

be translated into activities and results. This will allow us to measure
and evaluate our progress. Annual work plans based on the logical
framework will also be developed and progress will be measured
against the work plans and the achievement of the strategic objectives
on a year on year basis.

Contact us for more information and get involved.

A baseline will be conducted at the start of the strategy period with

target demographics and data split into various titles including age,
gender, school status and location. This will allow us to monitor the
progress and easily evaluate where we have come over the course of
the strategy period.
Ongoing monitoring will include monthly reports on the activities we
have engaged in. These will be reviewed against agreed output and
activity targets, as well as analysis of challenges, successes and
what we have learnt from programme implementation.

Online: www.restlessdevelopment.org/zimbabwe
Email: [email protected]
HARARE
36 Harvey Brown Street
Milton Park
P.O. Box 501

A mid-term review of the strategy will help us assess what initiatives

are working and whether anything needs refinement to help us meet
our targets.
A final evaluation study will be conducted at the end of the strategy
period and will provide quantitative analysis of outputs and outcomes
against the targets and objectives. This will be key in assessing the
achievements of the whole 5 year strategic period and will inform the
development of the new strategy.

FIND US

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We need young peoples

participation more than ever.
Their energy and idealism can
help make up for lost ground
and achieve our development
goals in full and on time.
Ban Ki Moon, UN Secretary General

WE AGREE.
DO YOU?

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