The Farm Community Trust, Zimbabwe

The Farm Community Trust of Zimbabwe (FCTZ) was created in 1996 by Save the Children Fund (SCF) - UK, the Commercial Farmers Union, and the General Agricultural and Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe to respond to the development needs of people on commercial farms in Zimbabwe. It uses strategies drawn from a primary health care programme for farm workers in one province of Zimbabwe by the ministry of health with support from SCF. The FCTZ was created to expand the programme to national level. The FCTZ facilitates inputs from government ministries (staff, training institutions and trainers, offices) and obtains funds from employers, NGOs and businesses for other aspects of local work (transport, training and subsistence). It works with the joint employer-union National Employment Council in the agricultural sector and with other national and international NGOs. The sector has prepared an Agriculture Workers Welfare Plan, covering minimum standards for farm health workers, such as toilets and potable water supplies, and the FCTZ works to support implementation of the plan. This includes building the skills, capacities and social organization of the farm workers themselves so that they can participate in local government processes, and to raise their profile in the drawing up of national policy.

Source: Farm Community Trust Annual Report, 1997/8