As a staff team at Zimele Wethu Foundation, we are always in owe of the evident growth, the impact and the higher levels of maturity we are seeing in the Cluster Level Associations and the Self Help Groups. The Zimele Wethu Self Help Group programme has continued to transform people’s lives as evidently presented in the outcomes based on our 5 years strategic plan.

2017 Objective 1 - By December 2017 – Mobilize 1 371 new programme participants into 100 new Self Help Groups
Since the beginning of the year, 2017, Zimele Wethu has mobilized 705 new people into 48 Self Help Groups (SHGs) and in the last 3 months, July – September 2017, 238 new people were mobilized into 25 Self Help Groups bringing the total accumulative number of women, youth and men mobilized into the SHG programme to 2 184 people in 141 SHGs.

As an organization, we have, through the support of our amazing co-workers; Zimele USA, Covenant World Relief, iKusasa Le Africa, Zimele Canada, E3 Initiative and Sinamandla, continued to experience the grace of God in every area. God has been so good to us. Our greatest source of joy is seeing women, youth and men in the five communities we work in overcoming poverty through their economic and social initiatives.

In the second quarter, the Zimele Wethu staff has been fantastic in adhering to the long term five years set objectives for the organization outlined in its strategic plan, (2015 – 2020). And for each year, Zimele Wethu staff set short term goals to guide its yearly work plan. Both the long term and the short term objectives have kept us focused on our main goal of mobilizing 8000 women, youth and men onto the Self Help Group programme by 2020. In this report, I have therefore worked with the five strategic objectives for 2017 to evaluate and report on the impact of the Zimele Wethu Self Help Group programme.

It is such a joy and exciting to continue witnessing the enthusiasm among women, youth and men who are part of the Self Help Group programme and remain participating in creating self-sustaining communities alongside a team of Zimele Wethu staff whose zeal, passion and commitment to work continues unwavering.

A quick reflection on some of Zimele Wethu achievements in 2016

2016 was a year of great successes and 2017 promises to even be more exciting. Outlined below are some of the Zimele Wethu achievements in 2016.