Journal of Social Development in Africa (1999), 14,1,19-30 
One NGOs Contribution to Women's 
Economic Empowerment and Social 
Development in Zimbabwe 
MARIA JULIA* 
ABSTRACT 
Poverty, due in part to the lack of economic self-sufficiency, has been recognised 
as one of the key impediments in the empowerment of women in Africa. Although 
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have been frequently criticised, they 
have more often played a facilitating and leadership role as catalysts in empowerment 
and development in relation to the socioeconomic needs of women in 
poverty. Zimbabwe Women Finance Trust (ZWFT), a micro creditNGO, provides 
vivid illustration of financial assistance and educational and emotional support 
provided to women entrepreneurs. The goal is to expand women's opportunities 
through the promotion of access to and participation in economic processes and, 
thereby, larger social structures. By helping improve the socioeconomic circumstances 
and self-reliance of women, NGOs such as ZWFT are simultaneously 
strengthening African society. 
Introduction 
At the 1994 African Women's Preparatory Meeting for the Fourth Women's World 
Conference in Beijing, China, African women gathered to articulate their position 
in what eventually resulted in the African Platform for Action. The Platform 
identified priorities for combating the increasing poverty of African women, and 
the United Nations 1995 Beijing Conference that followed committed countries 
and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to implement the African and 
Beijing Platforms for Action. Both conferences stressed the economic empowerment 
of women as a central development goal for the 21st century. 
Women's poverty, due in part to their lack of economic self-sufficiency, has 
been recognised as one of the impediments in the empowerment of women in 
Africa. In 1998, as part of ten strategic actions, the United Nations Economic 
Commission for Africa proposed to reduce gender disparities on the African 
continent. The goal of the action is to expand women's opportunities for entrepreneurship 
by promoting access to and participation in economic processes and 
structures, including access to employment and control of economic resources. 
* PhD, TheOhioState University, College of Social Work, 1947 CollegeRoad, Columbus, 
Ohio 43210, USA, Tel: 1(614) 292-3521; Fax: 1(614) 292-6940.
20 Maria Julia 
People-centred socioeconomic development emphasises the need to strengthen 
and support the capacity and self-reliance of women. The opportunity for advancement 
of economic power can facilitate and result in empowerment and a sense of 
self-worth brought about by economic self-sufficiency and self-reliance, "under 
conditions that give people both the opportunity and incentive to mobilise and 
manage resources in the service of themselves and their communities" (Korten, 
1987:147). 
In Africa in particular, investments in women's micro-enterprises provide 
essential resources that women need in order to improve their productivity and 
capacity for self-reliance. 
Although NGOs have been frequently criticised (Zmolek, 1980; Korten, 1998; 
Lai Das, 1998; Kam, 1998), they have more often played an enabling and 
leadership role as catalysts and vehicles of empowerment and development in their 
responses to the economic needs of women. NGOs are considered a "most 
promising solution" for one of the most difficult problems women face, "including 
the most intractable of all social problems - poverty" (Bar-On, 1998:5-6). 
According to Korten (1987), in an "era of declining financial resources and 
deepening poverty," NGOs have been looked upon as a means of getting women 
the economic benefits they need more directly and cheaply than governments have 
been able to accomplish. While many NGOs are involved in community development, 
only a relative few are "active in giving small loans to entrepreneurs in the 
micro enterprise informal poverty economy for income and employment generation 
purposes" (Waly, 1998:4). 
I spent a week at the home of the Zimbabwe Women Finance Trust (ZWFT), one 
of the first and most successful women's NGOs of its kind in Zimbabwe. [1] As 
has been traditionally the case with NGOs, ZWFT relies for its funding on a number 
of North American and European foundations, such as CARE. ZWFT opened in 
Harare in 1985 as a micro-credit programme, providing financial assistance and 
incentives in the form of loans to women entrepreneurs who are denied access to 
credit by the formal banking sector. Operating under the leadership of its founder 
and executive director, social worker Eisenet Mapondera, the Fund encourages the 
development of informal sector micro-enterprises for improving economic opportunity 
and activity among women. 
Following a number of conversations with the ZWFT staff, I was allowed to 
observe interviews-between ZWFT staff and loan applicants, conversations with 
ZWFT clients, and on a subsequent spontaneous role play between a staff member 
and the author, the following scenario captures a typical interaction between an 
African woman entrepreneur and the ZWFT staff. The italicised commentary 
indicates steps in the process used by the ZWFT to introduce a prospective loan 
applicant to the opportunities that ZWFT has to offer. 
[1] I wish to acknowledge the unconditional availability and generous sharing of information 
and time of the staff and clients at the ZWFT. Special appreciation goes to Ms Eisenet 
Mapondera, ZWFT Founder and Chief Executive and to Mrs Kudzai Gwasira, staff 
member.
One NGOs Contribution to Women's Empowerment in Zimbabwe 21 
An Illustrative Scenario 
It was 8:30am when I arrived at the Zimbabwe Women Finance Trust (ZWFT). The 
offices are located in a suburb of Harare in a converted agency house. On this cool 
October morning, I am overtaken by the magnificence of the jacaranda in bloom 
and by the serenity of the surroundings in this sub-Saharan African city. As I enter 
the house, I hear murmuring in a back room. As I move toward what seems to be 
the living area (reception area), I realise that the staff has gathered to pray. I learned 
later that prayer is part of the staffs daily routine before they start their work 
activities. 
The walls of the living/reception area are covered with familiar posters: "If it is 
not appropriate for women, it is not appropriate;" "As a woman I have no 
country.. .my country is the whole world." I especially like those posters targeting 
prevention of abuse of women. All of the areas of the house are simply furnished, 
but the handcrafted pieces made by some of the clients fill up the place with colour 
and, even more, with humanness. A cheerful woman with a big smile greets us. I 
must digress to emphasise these genuine, frequent, welcoming smiles that are so 
pervasive, and that make people feel so welcomed and give an almost immediate 
sense of belonging. 
"Good morning. I am Kudzai, who are you?" 
"Good morning, I am Maria." 
"Where are you from, Maria?" 
"I come from Marondera." 
"What brings you here this morning?" 
"I would like to receive a cheque." 
"Do you mean a loan, Maria?" 
"Yes that's it, I guess. A loan." 
"That will take a while to process. There are papers to complete, and we'll need to 
talk about your ideas. Then, assuming you qualify to receive a loan..." 
"Oh!" 
"It's okay, Maria. Let's talk a bit. What do you want a cheque for?" 
"For herbs. I want to grow and sell herbs. A woman in the waiting area was telling 
me that she sells "freezits" (plastic packets containing frozen individual servings 
of fruit juice), and she seems to be doing financially very well. She says you helped
22 Maria Julia 
her get started by providing a cheque for the plastics and the machine to seal them. 
Maybe I should try working with "freezits" instead of with herbs..." 
"There might already be too much competition for "freezits" in the Marondera 
region. I want to hear more about your original idea of growing herbs. Where are 
you planning to work?" 
"At home. I want to be near my home." 
"Do you have experience growing herbs? Do you know what you need to do to 
grow herbs?" (Kudzai makes an initial assessment cf skills). 
"Yes. I have about half an acre of good soil for planting herbs. I have grown small 
amounts for myself and my family." 
"That sounds wonderful! What herbs do you think you would grow to sell?" 
"I do not know yet, but maybe marjoram and mint- you know, maybe medicinal 
herbs." 
"Why those particular herbs? Tell me more about them." 
"I am not sure. I like growing herbs that cure ailments in people.! learned from my 
grandmother how to identify and use medicinal herbs, and how to grow them too." 
"What will your herbs cure?" 
"Everything! Tummy-ache, headache, burns and sores, colds, anything." 
"Have you thought about the possibility of ending up growing herbs that noone will 
buy? Who are going to be your clients?" (Here the staff member begins to create 
awareness of the need to assess competition in the market). 
"Women at the market." 
"Have you checked who are the women that will want them and how much are they 
ready to pay for herbs?" 
"Not yet." 
"Have you checked which are the kind of herbs that the women at the market will 
want to buy? Have you met any of your possible buyers to see what herbs are they 
looking for?" 
"Mmm..." 
"It's alright We are just trying to sort it out Do you have an idea about how much 
money you will need to start the business?" 
"No."
One NGOs Contribution to Women's Empowerment in Zimbabwe 23 
"Do you have any money saved to start the business?" (Here Kudzai begins a credit 
assessment). 
"No. I have the land and my work. But listen, I did not think that this was going to 
be so complicated. I want to work. I want to start my own small business. I want 
to make money to help feed my family - a "push" is all I need. Do you know what 
I mean?" 
"Yes, I know what you mean, but we need to talk more about this. Why don't you 
take a seat and we'll talk some more?" 
"A woman from my community came here about a year ago and she told me that 
you sent her to sell peanuts before you gave her any cheques." 
"Yes, you need some business experience before we give you a loan. Even selling 
peanuts for a while will give you some experience. You need to learn to speak the 
language of business. Maria, you have the most important part of what is needed 
- the interest - but let me explain this to you a little bit better. First, you are going 
to be invited to take part in training where, among other things, you can learn how 
to approach and get potential suppliers and clients, how to find out what clients 
need, where to get the best materials for the business, such as the seeds for the herbs 
for your garden, and how much it will cost The training also includes information 
about how to manage money, how to prepare a budget, and how to save a part of 
the money you make." 
"Mmm..." 
"I notice that you are a bit hesitant. Not being timid or shy is very important in 
having a business. The training that we offer includes working on your shyness. 
(Assertiveness training). You will also have fun with other clients and our staff, 
sharing ideas and suggestions on how to deal with the business and carrying on with 
the responsibilities of the family and the house (Balance between household and 
business demands). Are there other women in your community who would like to 
get into business or who are interested in going into business with you?" 
"Of course! Why?" 
"You need to become a part of a group of about seven women with an interest in 
business. You can form this group with people whom you know and who are 
interested in a business, or we can put you in contact with some existing groups 
where the women are already in business. Only three members of a group receive 
loans at a time. (Explaining the informal rotating credit system). The remaining 
members of the group will not receive loans until after the first three loan recipients 
pay their first instalment"(The group-basedlending strategy results in peer I group 
pressure, and ordinarily group cohesiveness develops rather quickly).
24 Maria Julia 
"But when do I get the cheque?" 
"After you gather your group or join an already existing group, together we will 
assess the kind of training that you need before starting a business. You take the 
training, and in the process determine how much money it is going to take for you 
to get the business going, how much you foresee making after you start the 
business, and how you are planning to save the required 15 percent of the profit 
(Savings model). 
"Is that when I receive my cheque?" 
"At that point, your group decides which members are ready for a loan. We also 
decide if you get your loan in a lump sum or if you receive it in instalments." 
"Great! And then what?" 
"You will have three years to pay your loan back, and you can also reapply in three 
years. After that, you would have become a business woman whom we will refer 
to a bank." 
"Sounds a bit scary..." 
"There's nothing to be scared about We will be following up on how things are 
going with the business and will be providing you with consultation, assistance, 
and additional, ongoing training, if you need it and choose to take it. You need to 
understand that you, the staff who work here, the women whom you will join in the 
group - all of us become a part of this business of yours because we all have 
something invested" (Partnership). 
"Where do I go to make payments? Here?" 
"Not necessarily. There are some cooperative offices in different parts of the area 
where women gather either to form groups, to take training, or to conduct their 
business. You can pay in the office closer to you." 
"What do you mean by saying that the women conduct their business in these 
cooperative offices?" 
"There are women in the business of weaving, knitting, embroidering, all kinds of 
crafts. Many of them go to the cooperative offices and do their work there." 
"I would not be able to do that. I have two children who are still small and require 
my staying home with them." 
"That is not a problem. Women bring their children to the co-op office when they 
come to work. Maria, we have guests here today who we are taking to visit some 
of the women's businesses to whom we have given loans. We are going to the
One NGOs Contribution to Women's Empowerment in Zimbabwe 25 
marketplace and to one of the co-op offices. Do you have time to join us?" 
"Sounds like a good idea." 
"Would you like to meet some of the women who are growing herbs? One of them 
might agree to help with your training and with starting your business." 
"I'd love to!" 
In the marketplace women are selling produce that they purchase wholesale from 
women who have received loans from ZWFT; others are selling what they have 
been funded to grow themselves. Caterpillars, corn, rice, mealie meal, and greens 
are some of the most popular products. The woman in the "freezits" business is 
there selling her product. We learn that she now employees six young men to help 
with her business. We visit the stalls of funded women who buy and sell crafts 
materials to women who are funded by ZWFT for craft-making and craft-selling 
businesses. Bangles, baskets, musical instruments, and stone figures are particularlypopularitems. 
Some of the businesses have become family enterprises, where 
the children and husbands are now employees of the women who started the 
enterprises. 
In the route to the co-op office we stop at an herb-processing laboratory run by 
a university professor of pharmacy. He is buying from some of the women in the 
herb-growing business for his experiments with different kinds of indigenous 
medicinal remedies, as well as for his involvement with the growing international 
market for potpourri. 
We also stop for lunch at a locally-owned and operated ipstaurant featuring 
typical food geared to tourism. This sort of establishment was virtually nonexistent 
in Harare until ZWFT funded the owner of this restaurant. It is now one 
of the best of its kind in Harare. At the co-op office - one of five in Harare—a group 
of women is waiting to make their loan payments. Other women are talking about 
forming a group. Still other groups are weaving or receiving lessons from a master 
in the craft of their interest (on-site training). Women are showing up with their 
babies "packed" (wrapped) on their backs. They are breast-feeding and telling 
jokes, and they are satisfied. They are essentially happy. I am impressed with the 
evident camaraderie, contentment, and fulfilment that they project. Despite the 
evident conditions of poverty, I sense hope and an implicit message of comfort and 
satisfaction that one does not easily find under the prevalent socioeconomic 
situation. I sense being in the presence of empowered women; I am experiencing 
a classic example of an NGO encouraging and strengthening existing communities. 
While ZWFT leadership began to develop the idea of financing women's microenterprises 
in 1985, it did not start funding projects until 1991. More than 4 500
26 Maria Julia 
women have received loans of anywhere from a few Zimbabwe dollars up to 
between Z$4 000 and Z$10 000. Their repayment rate is 97%, and most of the 
women have been and continue in business for years. 
TheRoleofNGOs 
Nyang'oro (1993) argues that the economy of the sub-Saharan countries of Africa 
has performed in an extremely poor manner in the last decade: "Bad government 
policy, natural disasters such as drought and famine, civil unrest.. .and the general 
structure and consequence of underdevelopment" (citing Mittleman, 1988:283) 
characterise the African continent of today. According to the World Bank (1989), 
Africans are almost as poor today as they were 20 years ago. The economy has 
performed poorly, and foreign capital becomes less interested in investing in the 
region, causing peripheralisation of the country, the people, and the women in 
particular, from the global economy. 
Zimbabwe is no exception to this discouraging picture. Although independence 
was obtained almost 20 years ago (1980) after 15 years of a struggle for freedom, 
the qualitative difference in living standards between the colonial period and postcolonial 
times has been minimal for the majority of the people. The economic 
development difficulties experienced by the country have resulted in the need for 
people to look for alternative means of meeting socioeconomic needs. The 
informal economy referred to as magendo has proliferated in response to the harsh 
socioeconomic situation. 
In Zimbabwe, it is estimated that job creation in the informal sector may average 
25 000 to 35 000 new employees a year. In general, however, "women's lack of 
access to affordable credit, information, technical advice and services prevents 
themfrom expanding their enterprises" (Manuh, 1998:7). In Africa in general, and 
in Zimbabwe in particular, women face the constraints of formal credit institutions 
demanding collateral in the form of landed property and male approval before 
loans can be made. They have to depend on money lenders whose loans are too 
expensive, and the repayment schedule is too short to allow for growth. Banking 
procedures require literacy, time, and documentation, not always possible or 
available, and the banking system believes that lending to the poor, particularly 
poor women, is risky (Waly, 1989). 
In the context of the overall situation in Zimbabwe, NGOs have tried to help the 
plight of women in particular. Assessments of such NGOs range from praise to 
harsh criticism. The NGO practices in work with women that have been assessed 
as negative include ignoring the structure of households and of the social relations 
that influence women's roles in production, as well as the larger social processes
One NGOs Contribution to Women's Empowerment in Zimbabwe 27 
that shape women's lives (Manuh, 1998). Other negative evaluations emphasise 
economic-related aspects, such as too early withdrawal of financial support, too 
many requirements before assistance is given, providing funding before adequate 
planning, giving inadequate explanations of implications of a loan, lack of 
following up and monitoring, inappropriate training, inadequate spelling out of 
mutual obligations, and handing over of financial management before the individual 
is ready (Hancock, 19%; Ziswa & Else, 1991; Bibars, 1998). 
Despite the mixed, inconclusive, and frequently contradictory critiques resulting 
in lack of a consensus about the value of the role of NGOs in social 
development, negatively-ladened assessments of NGOs tend to "overpower" and 
"blur" the service/assistance provided by successful NGOs. There has been some 
tendency to ignore those NGOs that have made significant contributions toward 
"making a better world" (Nyang'oro, 1993:155). Waly (1998:6) makes it clear 
that
"successful programs depend on well trained.. officers who would reach 
out for the poor, identify them, promote the program, train the beneficiary 
when needed and collect loan payments." 
According to Waly (1998:7), 
"the best model for NGOs running a micro credit program would be 
lending cash and giving technical support in the form of advising on best 
suppliers, best markets, suggesting innovative activities to avoid market 
saturation and linking beneficiaries to each other so that they can complement 
each others activities." 
According to Bar-On (1998:3), the advantages of successful NGOs are well 
known: 
"They deliver services that governments find difficult to arrange and that the 
market is unable to deliver." He emphasises that, "it is mainly in the realm of moral 
values that NGOs are said to make their special mark: inpromoting socialjustice." 
Looking Ahead 
The illustrated example of ZWFT as an NGO speaks for itself in its upright ways 
of overcoming the earlier-mentioned criticisms. This is but one instance where an 
NGO is successfully making adifference in the lives of a segment of society in great
28 Maria Mia 
need of assistance inZimbabwe. The assessments of Ziswa &Else (1991:18) have 
concluded that NGOs are and have been an "important element of Zimbabwe's 
future." Several other writers and researchers (Clark, 1991; Bratton, 1990; 
Nyang'oro, 1993) go beyond the Zimbabwe situation and recognise the crucial role 
that NGOs have played in Africa, where they have been legitimised by their 
closeness and responsiveness to their constituencies, while governments have 
lacked the insight and flexibility to adapt to local conditions. 
ZWFT illustrates that in a country generally characterised by, "weak agricultural 
growth, a decline in industrial output, poor export performance, climbing 
debt, deteriorating social indicators, institutions and environment" (World Bank, 
1989:2), NGOs have the "opportunity to exert badly needed leadership in 
addressing people-centred development" (Korten, 1987:147). NGOs such as 
ZWFT have positively affected people by devising strategies to alleviate women's 
poverty, serving as a vehicle for empowerment, representing the interest of women 
at the grassroots level and developing a self-sustaining system of magendos that 
encourage and facilitate women's efforts to independently meet their needs. 
According to Bratton (1990:91), developing organisations consist of "efforts to 
maximise factors that affect realisation of goals." ZWFT is playing a key role in 
women's realisation of goals, making a difference in the lives of people - 
differences that are and will be sustained beyond the period of NGO assistance 
(Korten, 1987). Projects can only be considered successful if they improve the 
overall quality of life of those involved, and if they contribute to the socioeconomic 
development of society (Mapondera, 1998). Capable, committed individuals who 
combine a long-term vision with well-developed skills in leadership and management, 
all framed within altruistic desires, have relied on high moral purpose, good 
will, hard work, and common sense to achieve this success. Micro-enterprises 
funded through ZWFT have had long-term implications for improving day-to-day 
living conditions and social development in the Zimbabwean society. 
By improving the situation of women, NGOs such as ZWFT are simultaneously 
strengthening the African society and enhancing the broader development prospects 
of the continent. We have seen that "Africa is overflowing with women 
leaders.They lack only the training and the means to bloom" (Manuh, 1998, citing 
Ndiaye Ba from the Women's Development Enterprise in Africa, pi). The key to 
what is needed for advancing the position for women in Africa is strengthening 
their capacities and skills and expanding their opportunities to fully develop their 
socioeconomic roles and power. As ZWFT is demonstrating, and as Waly (1998:1) 
emphasises very well in her work, there is evident need to "back micro credit for 
macro changes."
One NGOs Contribution to Women's Empowerment in Zimbabwe 29 
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