Southern Alliance for Indigenous Resources (SAFIRE)

Southern Alliance for Indigenous Resources (SAFIRE) was established in 1994 as a regional organisation with its regional office in Zambia. SAFIRE is registered as a PVO in 1996 in Zimbabwe.

During the period 1999 – 2008, SAFIRE worked with partners in 12 countries in Africa and Asia, currently operating in 10 districts in Zimbabwe.

Vision - Rural communities with resilient livelihoods in a sustainably managed environment.

Mission - To facilitate the development and application of innovative approaches to diversify of rural livelihoods based on the utilisation, commercialisation and sustainable management of natural resources, and increase livelihood resilience.

Programmatic areas include:

• Climate mitigation and adaptation
• Community Based NRM – Nature based soluynation
• Sustainable agriculture and livelihoods, Agrom ecology
• Community resilience – DRR, Urban resilience

Focus Area(s)

NRM

• Institutional strengthening (action planning, by-laws, committees, cbo)
• Human wildlife conflict management (wildlife friendly agriculture)
• Forest landscape restoration practices
• Afforestation and reforestation
• Agroforestry –Buhera, Mutasa

NRM and Agro-Ecology

• Food security and nutrition enhancement
• Revitalisation and establishment of irrigation schemes (water systems and technical support)
• NTFP valorisation and commercialisation

Climate Change Mitigation

• Awareness raising in all targeted districts
• Smart energy-efficient technologies (cooking stoves, solar panels) in Buhera, Hurungwe, Mbire, Muzarabani, Chiredzi, Chipinge, Makoni
• REDD+ projects (Chiredzi, Gokwe)
• Nature based solutions
• Waste management-composting (organic manure) Buhera
• Natural capital accounting and sustainable financing

Climate Change Adaptation

• Climate smart agriculture
• Solar powered irrigation schemes and micro irrigation schemes

Method(s) USed to Achieve Objectives

• Awareness
• Capacity building
• Community / household visioning
• Partnerships and collaboration
• Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM), CBNRM-benefit driven and meaningful participation

Project(s)

Resilient and sustainable livelihoods enhancement in and around Manjinji and Shashe irrigation schemes (RESLEMS): The project aims to improve livelihoods and resilience of communities in and around Manjinji and Shashe irrigation schemes.

Prevention and responding to GBV among women and youth through agro-economic empowerment programmes: The project intends to economically empower these communities as a strategy to reduce multifaceted GBV issues emanating from the strong patriarchal system, characterised by men being in control of the key factors of production.

Building resilient inclusive and accountable communities in Zimbabwe (BRIC- Zim): The project aims to assist vulnerable communities to move from a protracted food insecurity crisis to an improved state where women, men, and children are resilient and less dependent on humanitarian assistance in the face of climate shocks.

Climate adaptation for rural livelihoods (carl) phase 2: The project aims to help build the resilience of vulnerable rural areas. The goal of the CARL project is to improve the well-being of Zimbabwe’s rural population and reduce poverty and food insecurity in the face of climate change.

Land restoration – afforestation and reforestation

Community-based adaptation: Scaling-up community action for livelihoods and ecosystems in Southern Africa and beyond (CBA SCALE Southern Africa.

Project Partner(s)

• CARE international
• OXFAM- Southern Africa

Funding

Ireland Civil Society Partnership (ICSP); TDH (terre des hommes); Liechtensteinischer Entwicklungs-Dienst; Irish Aid – consortium – Oxfam lead Resilience Building; SIDA; International Climate Initiative; Terra Fund