📋 Tender Overview
Takundas work with men and boys to re-envision norms has made great strides in exploring and expanding ideas around what it means to be a man; definitions of masculinity within households and communities; and how this impacts food and nutrition. Takunda views its work as a journey of engaging men and boys in food security and nutrition programming. It is a work in progress, building on lessons learned, experimenting, and learning from others. Takunda believes that engaging men does not take away from a focus on women or womens empowerment. It is not a zero sum game; men and boys are part of the solution, especially when we work with them as equal partners with women and girls to change social structures and power imbalances. By understanding the complexities of mens and boys experiences -- how they are shaped and the pressures they face -- we can build sustainable approaches that benefit everyone.
CARE Zimbabwe, along with partners FHI360, International Youth Foundation (IYF), Nutrition Action Zimbabwe (NAZ), Bulawayo Projects Centre (BPC), and Environment Africa (EA), and ICRISAT, imlpements Takunda We Have Overcome, a five-year, USD $55 million USAID Resilience Food Security Activity (RFSA). The project is implemented in two provinces: Masvingo (Chivi and Zaka Districts) and Manicaland (Mutare and Buhera Districts). Takunda seeks to promote sustainable, equitable, and resilient food, nutrition, and income, directly impacting 301,636 people. Targeted populations include vulnerable adult women and men, adolescent mothers, male and female youth (aged 18-35), women of reproductive age, and children under five years, who are made vulnerable by socio-economic challenges, the impacts of climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Gendered behaviors and social norms continue to shape power dynamics in decision-making between women and men in the target communities, which has significantly impacted household food security and nutrition, leading to deeply entrenched poverty. The Takunda Theory of Change directly responds to the underlying causes of food insecurity and malnutrition. These include poverty, limited financial resources, gender inequality, persistent negative social norms, cultural beliefs and behaviors, limited youth empowerment, and weak institutional/organizational governance and accountability. Activities addressing these causes fall under the following three purpose areas:
Purpose 1 - Increase incomes from on-farm, off-farm, and non-farm livelihoods activities.
Purpose 2 - Improve the nutritional status of children under five years of age, adolescent girls, and
women of reproductive age.
Purpose 3- Build capacities among vulnerable households and communities to cope with shocks and and reduce risk.
Gender equality and youth empowerment are cross-cutting themes aimed at reducing disparities regarding access, control over, and benefits obtained from resources, assets, and opportunities; reducing gender-based violence (GBV); and increasing the ability of women and girls to realize their rights, determine their life outcomes, and influence decision-making at the household, community, and institutional levels.
