Story by Abigirl Tembo, Health Editor
THERE is growing optimism in rural communities as the peer-led Care Group model shows promising results in combating malnutrition. Despite progress, 27 percent of children under five in Zimbabwe still suffer from stunting, exceeding the World Health Organisation’s 20 percent threshold.
In Tsai village of Mount Darwin District, care group volunteers are bringing a lifeline of nutrition and hope to the community, especially apostolic church households, who have historically shunned modern healthcare and where routine clinic visits often clash with religious doctrine.
Instead of sterile corridors, trained local volunteers now meet within neighbourhood households to share messages on hygiene, home‑grown “four‑star” diets, and nutrition gardens, resulting in stronger caregiver practices, improved child feeding, and measurable progress in reducing stunting.
“I have a child who was born preterm at seven months. When she was discharged and we came home, she could not sit at the expected time and was diagnosed with stunted growth. That’s when I joined a care group and began feeding her a ‘four‑star’ diet, as we had learned, mixing eggs and milk into her porridge every day. She recovered very well, and now she is healthy,” Marange church member, Christine Lisalo said.
“I attend the Johane Marange Church. I became a lead father because my son had been experiencing short-sightedness for almost five months, he could not see properly. But after we introduced the four-star diet and practised what we had been taught, his eyesight was restored and now it is very good,” another member of the Marange church, Misheck Nongwe added.
“I was born into the Marange Apostolic Church and married within the church. What prompted me to join the care groups was the feeling that we were falling behind, especially in how we raised our children. But once we joined and learned how to feed and care for them, we saw real improvements in our children’s health through the four-star diet and the six-stage behaviour change model,” Marange church member, Anna Chivarange expressed.
Village health workers are happy with the progress.
“At Marange households, children used to die in large numbers. Those who survived were often born stunted, and many children in the village, especially members of the Marange Apostolic Church, were unwell or died,” Village Health Worker, Mr Josphat Munaki noted.
“We have established many care groups in this area, and every village health worker serves as a promoter. Each group comprises 10 to 15 members who live near one another. In my village, I coordinate four care groups made up of newlywed mothers, pregnant mothers, breastfeeding mothers, and grandmothers caring for young orphans. They are pleased with the progress so far. Our aim is to use foods grown locally, such as beans, African peas, carrots, and butternuts, to nourish our children. We do not buy, we grow. These care groups began in 2015,” Village Health Worker, Ms Kestah Marufu said.
“Ever since the care group programme began in this village, we have seen major improvements in the health and well-being of our children. Before the programme, many children used to die, but now, the children are very, very healthy,” Tsai Village Head, Mr Latson Chongo added.
With the food and nutrition council and multi-sector ministries coordinating delivery and training, together with the church, the care model approach has begun to reshape cultural norms around feeding, growth monitoring, and service uptake as Zimbabwe races to meet the national SDG‑2 target of ending hunger and child stunting by 2030.
