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Musasa Project injected with new life
Musasa Project
June 30, 2009

Musasa project has for over 20 years championed the fight against gender based violence in order to create a domestic violence free environment in Zimbabwe. The organisation provides support for survivors of violence through counselling, legal advice and temporary shelter for women who have been chased away from home by their partners or whose lives are in danger. It is the only organisation offering shelter for women and children who flee from abusive and violent relationships.

The increasingly harsh economic environment has added fresh impetus to domestic and gender based violence and the number of women seeking psychological and legal support from Musasa Project is increasing. For instance in 2008 the organization used to counsel an average of 150 clients per month. Currently the numbers have shot up to more than 350 per month.

The Director of Musasa Project, Ednah Bhala said the increased demand for Musasa Project services has put pressure on the provision of services by the organisation but the organisation had made every effort to ensure that its clients 's needs are met and assistance is provided to all those in need 24 hours a day. She added that they are in the process of mobilising resources and putting in place strategies to reach out to more women throughout the country.

In 2008 the organisation faced challenges in providing adequate services to its clients due to the economic crisis that resulted in shortages of food and materials. The need to ensure that service delivery to clients was not compromised resulted in an extensive resource mobilising campaign and the German Embassy, Australian Embassy , IOM and World Food programme have partnered with Musasa Project to improve the services at the shelter by providing, water, electricity, security, food and resources for renovations and income generating projects.

As part of Musasa Project 's mission to empower the survivors of violence, income generating projects are taught at the shelter and women become skilled in candle making, sewing, poultry and commercial gardening. The skills assist the women not to remain in abusive relationships for economic reasons and make it easier to return to their communities as productive members of society. The Musasa Project shelter in Harare provides a safe haven to survivors of violence and has become a critical step in the process to heal and rehabilitate victims of gender based violence.

The shelter provides a secure environment for the survivors and their children to undergo intensive counselling and gain skills that will empower them economically and provide them with options for their re integration into society. Musasa Project has intensified its campaign to ensure that women all over the country have access to information on gender based violence and can access its services. Musasa is continuously partnering with organisations that will compliments efforts to stop gender based violence and provide shelter to survivors and their children. All the splendid work that Musasa Project does would be in vain were it not for its partners.

Visit the Musasa Project fact sheet

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