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CHAPTER ONE
country, composed of dedicated volunteers drawn from
Community Development Committees, liaises closely
between national offices and CDCs to provide a valuable
national-level resource. The Resource Teams also enact
Camfed’s policy of identifying and recognizing experts
at the local and national levels and enabling them to
extend their influence. (Chapter Four describes Camfed’s
governance system and structure.)
Figure 4 illustrates the partnerships between the Camfed
national offices, government authorities and Community
Development Committees and families.
The strength and resilience of these powersharing
structures is demonstrated powerfully in
Zimbabwe, where the past seven years have seen
the deterioration and breakdown of government
services and the decreasing investment of NGOs.
Against this background and in direct response to
children’s increasing vulnerability, Camfed ensured its
investment continued to reach communities, including
those in two new districts. By the end of 2009 Camfed
was supporting 6,555 Zimbabwean children to go to
secondary school – an increase of 35% over children
supported in 2007. All 24 CDCs (including one formed in
2009) have remained fully active due to the tremendous
commitment of volunteer members. Although Ministry
of Education monitoring of schools virtually stopped
during the worst of the economic crisis, 50% of CDC
members were able to make a monitoring visit due to
the close working relationships established with the
school system, facilitated by transportation provided by
Camfed.
It is because of this community involvement that Camfed
has been able to continue delivering support to girls in
Zimbabwe in the face of enormous logistical difficulties. It
is due to the robustness of this power-sharing communitybased
model, underpinned by accountability and
transparency at every level, that support has continued
to get to the girls intended to receive it, at a time when
many other systems have been in crisis. The Community
Development Committees who work with Camfed
Zimbabwe to deliver the program, as well as the Cama
network and Mother Support Groups, have been a lifeline
to communities through the recent upheavals. Their
philanthropy has long been a hallmark of the Zimbabwe
program, but this has since gone to new levels, where
as well as supporting schoolchildren, they have also
supported teachers in their determination to keep schools
open.
Community ownership through voluntary activism
At the end of 2009, the volunteer community activists
delivering the Camfed program numbered 56,387.
Camfed interprets the growth of committed voluntary
activism as an indicator of sustainable action and
systemic change. The nature of Camfed’s support for girls
and young women depends upon community ownership
in order to be effective and lasting. Jointly agreed
policies, shared governing structures, and consensual
processes support and respect local concerns, talents,
knowledge, and rights of agency, to the advantage of all
participants. Because the program is locally delivered by
local volunteers, it belongs — and is widely perceived to
belong — to the community.
Volunteer energy and expertise contributes exponentially
to Camfed’s knowledge and efficiency, vastly expanding its
reach to many who could not otherwise be supported.
The time committed by local volunteer activists in 2008
was equivalent to the time of 1,201 full-time employees.
By contrast, Camfed’s paid staff numbered 92, of whom 61
were African nationals based in national offices.
Consultation with volunteers has identified the following
factors that drive their involvement with the program:
• volunteer structures, e.g. among traditional leaders
and head teachers, enable peers to share problems and
solutions across districts and countries;
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