Losing one’s particulars or important documents can bring misery and stress, especially when one thinks of how difficult it is to replace them. I know of a programme on Radio Zimbabwe where announcements are made of lost and found items. This programme has been running for a long time and has assisted a lot of people. Now an online platform has been created by Hansole Investments. The website www.lostandfound.org.zw allows people who might have lost or found items to enter the information and description of these items helping people to connect with what they’ve lost.

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Baseline assessment: Community mobilization for PMTCT and Pediatric HIV in Zimbabwe: SAfAIDS

Introduction
SAfAIDS is a partner in the FACE-Pediatric HIV Consortium, which is implementing a five-year national program to eliminate new HIV infections in children and improve the survival of mothers and children in line with the national strategic plan. SAfAIDS’ principal role in the partnership is to strengthen community participation and engagement in integrated PMTCT and Pediatric HIV Care.

The Assignment
The PMTCT Community Mobilisation Baseline Assessment
The consultant is expected to undertake a baseline assessment of community mobilization initiatives supporting increased uptake of integrated PMTCT services baseline assessment. The assessment will gather baseline data to facilitate project monitoring and evaluation.

Purpose of the Baseline Assessment
The purpose of this assessment is to gather baseline data that will inform SAfAIDS and the FACE Pediatric HIV Consortium with the design, implementation and evaluation of community mobilization approaches.

For more information and to apply please click here

From IRIN:

The thick stench of human waste pervades the block of the eight unfinished flats in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare. The complex is dotted with human faeces – some of it parcelled in plastic bags, some not. More here

Committee of the Peoples Charter (CPC) Press Statement on Proposed Government Exit Packages:

‘Say No to the Inclusive Government’s Politics of the Belly’

Issue Date: February 08 2013

The Committee of the Peoples Charter (CPC) is gravely disappointed with the departure lounge intentions of the inclusive government’s ministers and the current Parliament to award themselves ‘exit’ packages in the form of luxury vehicles and houses, as reported in the February 8-14 edition of the Zimbabwe Independent. Such an intention is grossly hypocritical as well as thoroughly unjustified and undeserved.

In a year where the country is facing a major drought as well as deplorable social services where there is lack of clean drinking water, affordable health care and a crisis in our education system, awarding these policy makers these ridiculous exit packages would be the height of political insensitivity.

These leaders would do well to be reminded that being in government is a service to the people of Zimbabwe and not a mechanism through which they must seek to enrich themselves.  Unfortunately this latest intention is only but the latest indication of the warped thinking that informs the inclusive government where and when it comes to matters of allowances and perks for its officials.

Against better advice, the inclusive government has over the last four years had a ridiculously high foreign travel bill, a penchant for purchasing luxury vehicles for ministers and their deputies while simultaneously claiming that the country has a mere US$217,00 in its bank account. That MPs and ministers now want ‘exit packages’  is akin to severance packages in a country where unemployment is reportedly as high as 80%, can only be viewed as a demonstration of utter contempt for the suffering of the ordinary people.

The CPC strongly advises the inclusive government and parliament to show contrition and sensitivity to the people that elected them into office by not seeking to loot the national purse for personal aggrandizement.

Zimbabwe is neither their personal tuck-shop nor theirs to treat as an ‘endgame takes all you can’ country.  Where the inclusive government decides to proceed with dishing out exit packages to itself, the CPC shall mobilize all Zimbabweans against such extravagance.