Swiss Support to Arts Development in Zimbabwe (SSADZA)

01.09.2024 - 31.08.2028

Through the SSADZA initiative, Switzerland will support Zimbabwean artists to create new work, build networks, and engage audiences, enriching the arts landscape economically and socially. The programme will stimulate social change and enhance civil society by promoting the arts and culture as a catalyst for debate, social cohesion, peaceful co-existence and localisation. SSADZA will also participate in policy influencing with donors and government for increased financial support to the sector.

Scaling Up Youth Employment in Agriculture Initiative

01.05.2024 - 30.04.2028

In Zambia and Zimbabwe, due to a mismatch between the skills they have and those in demand, youth cannot access or create economic opportunities and overlook those available. The project builds skills and matches youth with firms, markets and finance to create more and better (self)-employment in agri-food, renewable energy and emerging sectors, contributing to Swiss priorities on human and economic development and climate change. This is a contribution implemented by SNV.

Strengthening the National HIV Response

15.06.2023 - 31.12.2028

The Newlands Clinic (NC) is a national Centre of Excellence for the comprehensive care of HIV patients with complex and advanced diseases. Through its training centre and research capacities it informs and strengthens Zimbabwe’s national HIV response. Managed by the Swiss Ruedi Lüthy Foundation, Switzerland’s support to the Newlands Clinic contributes to Switzerland’s visibility and excellent reputation in the country. 

Switzerland aims to improve health and psychosocial outcomes for adolescents and young people infected with HIV through support to the Zvandiri peer-to-peer programme. Peer interventions positively influence HIV testing rates, treatment uptake, retention in care and viral suppression. This programme is integrated within and seeks to strengthen the public health system. SDC will partner with Africaid, the primary government partner for this approach, and support Africaid’s ambitions to expand the model to Zambia.

01.11.2021 - 31.10.2025

African Risk Capacity Programmes in Zambia and Zimbabwe

01.11.2021 - 31.10.2026

This programme will contribute towards strengthening national systems for disaster preparedness through support to drought insurance premiums and capacity building. Switzerland is thus consolidating its engagement in climate change mitigation and disasters risk reduction with the aim to sustainably minimize risk to loss of lives and assets for vulnerable men and women. The Africa Risk Capacity, a specialized agency of the Africa Union, will implement this programme. 

Rural Resilience in Southern Africa / R4 Initiative

01.07.2021 - 30.06.2025

The R4 Rural Resilience Initiative for Southern Africa enables smallholder farmers’ adaptation to climate risk through improved resource management, insurance, livelihoods diversification, microcredit and savings. Through R4, Switzerland has become a credible and trusted partner in resilience building and its learnings have fed into policy dialogue. The emphasis of this final phase is on strengthening government and private sector, as well as the gender approach.  

Urban Food Security and Resilience Building programme

15.10.2020 - 31.10.2024

Drawing on learnings by Switzerland in rural areas in Zimbabwe, this program addresses food insecurity in 3 secondary cities through a contribution to a World Food Programme initiative that combines humanitarian and resilience building solutions. Focused on the latter, this contribution provides food insecure urban people a comprehensive support including skills, finance and market linkages aimed at more gainful agriculture. It also supports the coordination and strengthening of related stakeholders, including policy makers.  

O3+ Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future

01.10.2020 - 14.09.2025

This project uses targeted interventions in post-secondary educational institutions in Zambia and Zimbabwe to improve access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) among 18-24 year-olds. Working with UNESCO and Ministries of Higher and Tertiary Education, the project brings Switzerland’s lengthy experience in the HIV/SRHR field to bear by targeting an often neglected cohort of young people with tailored interventions to reduce HIV infections, unintended pregnancies, and gender-based violence. 

Accountability in Health & Agriculture

01.07.2019 - 31.12.2024

While governments have translated regional policies on Food Security and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) into national policies, these are poorly implemented and the public lacks capacities to act effectively upon them. The project will improve the accountability and gender responsiveness of public resource management and complement the ongoing Swiss funded projects in ensuring that policy/advocacy work developed at national, regional and global levels is disseminated and implemented by relevant SADC and governmental institutions.