Zimbabwe has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the world — almost 25% of the productive adult population is HIV positive.

It is becoming common to see households comprised of elderly grandparents and young children — the result of parents having perished from the disease.

As a result, 50% of families in CHF’s project areas cultivated less land during the past season, partly because of lack of labour, and partly because of a lack of money to buy necessary inputs such as seeds.

Working with local partners SAFIRE and FACT, CHF is working to improve the lives of child-headed households, households headed by the aged, (especially old women), and households with chronically ill or disabled parents.

CHF and its partners are working with approximately 5,000 households in the districts of Nyanga, Nyachityu, Nyamazura, Rupise, Changazi, and Mutare. 

CHF’s project provides the resources and tools needed to teach people how to grow livestock and other nutritious crops, and to establish income-generating enterprises in bee-keeping, jam production, soap-making and sunflower oil processing.