Dabane’s motto, in the local Ndebele language is ‘Siqala Ngamanzi’, ‘We start with water’. What can grow, establish and develop without water? Dabane, established in 1991, is a lead non-governmental organisation (NGO) of considerable expertise and reputation. It works with vulnerable communal farmers in semi-arid areas of Southern Africa region, but mostly in south-west regions of Zimbabwe.

Stephen Hussey and his team are involved in:

·       constructing water access points (boreholes, pumps, storage tanks, sand dams)

·       training locals in sanitation and hygiene

·       establishing resilient livelihoods

·       introducing sustainable, environmentally friendly and climate-resilient land use and water management systems

·       supporting women’s empowerment

·       food production

·       research and development

WDR is supporting Dabane’s staff through salaries. It is amazing how many other donors believe that funding programmes without funding staff salaries makes sense. This offers some stability, much needed after the chaos created by the Trump administration’s ceasing of USAID funding overnight in early 2025. The small well-being grant is also of huge benefit to staff in these uncertain times for them. Due to a generous donation from an individual donor, five one-hectare vegetable gardens are being developed into thriving cooperatives. Members are being trained in production and marketing of their produce.

Dabane is positively impacting nearly 70,000 rural Zimbabweans.