The Department of Social Development aims reduce poverty and enhance self-reliance through the provision of social protection services to vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in Zimbabwe..
This section of the Department of Social Development has a mandate to reduce poverty and enhance self-reliance through the provision of social protection services to vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in Zimbabwe. Provision of services is guided by the Social Welfare Assistance Act [Chapter 17:06]; Older Persons Act [17:11]; Private Voluntary Organisation Act [Chapter17:05] and Refugees Act [Chapter 4:03] and the National Social Protection Policy Framework for Zimbabwe among others. The social protection services offered to the vulnerable include, cash transfers, medical assistance, in-kind and food assistance as well as support to the elderly in and out of institutions. In addition, other services offered include registration of Private Voluntary Organisations, protection of refugees and asylum seekers, repatriation services for destitute foreigners, pauper burial as well as building community resilience through sustainable livelihoods projects
Governed by the Children’s Act (Chapter 5:06) the Child Protection section is there to enhance the welfare and protection of children in the Zimbabwe. It provides comprehensive child protection services through the National Case Management System for the Welfare and Protection of Children (NCMS). Services offered include: probation services for children in conflict with the law and children in need of care; alternative care placements, that is, foster care, adoption and residential care; Identification Documentation Tracing and Reunification (IDTR) of children living outside the family environment including children living and working on the streets and unaccompanied migrant children. The section also deals with International Social Services in matters relating to inter-country child protection issues. It coordinates community based child protection activities facilitated by Child Protection Committees and Community Childcare Workers, parenting initiatives, early warning child protection systems, HIV sensitive and disability sensitive child protection services
The department exists to promote the rights of persons with disabilities and ensure that they are protected from all forms of vulnerability and have access to basic social services. Guided by the Disabled Persons Act (Chapter 17:01); State Service Disability Benefits Act (Chapter 16:05) as well as the Social Welfare Assistance Act (Chapter 17:06), the department provides various goods and services to persons with disabilities. These include, provision of assistive technologies, vocational skills training and fees, empowerment loans and grants, medical assistance, maintenance allowances, grants to institutions taking care of persons with disabilities as well as support to national rehabilitation centers. The National Disability Policy also contains key standards that guide implementation of disability mainstreaming in all the country’s programmes with a matrix for both end users and duty bearers to help keep track. All this is being done to ensure that persons with disabilities are not excluded from contributing to the country’s socio-economic development
Basic Education Assistence Module
