The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), working with Zimbabwe’s government and funding from France, has rolled out an agricultural voucher system as part of its Nourish and Thrive initiative. The programme gives rural households subsidised access to quality farming inputs, aiming to strengthen food security and build more resilient livelihoods in drought-hit areas.
The effort is focused on Masvingo and Mwenezi districts, where communities have been hit hard by El Niño-driven drought. Through the voucher system, farmers can select high-quality, drought-tolerant seeds and other essential inputs — helping them recover from climate shocks while working toward longer-term food security.
The voucher rollout brought together local leaders, agro-dealers, and participating households, and reached roughly 4,000 households across selected wards in the two districts.
Alongside the input distribution, FAO also prioritised training on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), reinforcing its zero-tolerance stance on misconduct by aid workers and partner organisations. Ruramai Sibiya of World Vision Zimbabwe stressed the value of spreading this awareness among colleagues and teams.
FAO additionally trained Voucher Redeeming Suppliers on its IDEA platform — a digital system for managing beneficiary data and delivering cash/voucher assistance — covering navigation, troubleshooting, and customer service, with local monitoring to support transparency.
Agro-dealer Dumisani Simango of Masvingo said he found the PSEA training genuinely educational. FAO’s PSEA Focal Person, Leticia Njowola, added that embedding these safeguards strengthens institutional accountability and trust between partners and the communities they serve.
