The Zimbabwe Women's Bureau's Path To Sustainability  

For over four decades, the Zimbabwe Women’s Bureau (ZWB) has been a champion for women’s empowerment and economic independence in Zimbabwe. But in 2024, the organization realized that to sustain and scale its impact, it needed to take a step back, redefine its purpose, and rethink its approach to resource mobilization.

Their journey toward sustainability began with their participation in Emerge 2.0, a capacity-building program designed to strengthen organizations across Africa. At the program's kick-off meeting in Kampala, Uganda, Melody Gwangwara from ZWB reflected:

“I believe the first step is to also roll down the training that I have learned to some of my colleagues…I believe what I have learned is something that needs to be internalized within the whole organisation within all departments, from there we can then craft our purpose because it’s not always there, it’s not blunt in all our documents. We always put up our mission goals but we have learned that putting up your purpose will also connect emotionally with other people who would want to support, it could be individuals, it could be trusts so we want to work on our purpose and then develop a resource mobilisation strategy “- Melody Gwangwara, ZWB, Zimbabwe 

These were Melody Gwangwara’s thoughts at the kick off meeting of the Emerge 2.0 Programme kick in Kampala, Uganda that she attended with her colleague Ronika Mumbire. 9 months later, when reminded of her statement, Melody says,  

“I think we have out done ourselves, We never anticipated that It was gonna be a smooth process like that, but we just invested ourselves in doing what we have learned to make sure that we get the results.” 

For years, ZWB operated with a broad mission: "To eliminate poverty in marginalized communities." However, they realized that this statement did not fully capture their identity or inspire external stakeholders.

Without a clear, emotionally compelling purpose, engaging funders and partners was a challenge. Their fundraising efforts felt fragmented, and despite their impactful work, they lacked a unifying message that defined their long-term vision.

Old Purpose Statement: To eliminate poverty in marginalized communities
New Purpose Statement: Until Every Woman is Free from the Indignity of Poverty and Inequalities

This newfound clarity fueled a renewed focus on resource mobilization. The team, including staff and board members, actively participated in developing a comprehensive financing strategy. They explored diverse income streams, from offering vocational training and establishing women's centers, to pursuing impact investments and leveraging their existing assets. 

A key turning point came with the generous support of the Oak Foundation, enabling ZWB develop a robust resource mobilization strategy. This strategic approach, coupled with valuable insights gained from attending the IFC 2024 conference in the Netherlands, is empowering the ZWB to explore innovative fundraising avenues. This strategic approach, coupled with valuable insights gained from attending the IFC conference in the Netherlands, empowered ZWB to explore innovative fundraising avenues. 

ZWB is also fostering a culture of internal resource generation. They are actively engaging their diaspora community, encouraging them to support women's enterprises through the purchase of locally produced goods. Moreover, they are leveraging the skills and expertise of their staff, offering consultancy services and workshops to generate income. 

 This journey of transformation has not only strengthened the ZWB's financial position but also fostered a deeper sense of ownership and engagement among staff and board members. They are now more confident in their ability to navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and create a sustainable future for women in Zimbabwe. On the next steps and focus for ZWB after this, Ronika says,

“For me it's about popularizing our purpose...when I tabled it to the board, they were listening to me presenting and they were saying we never thought you would come up with something like that...they were like, wow, this is well thought and we have no additions, We have no subtractions except to go ahead and approve it, and it didn't take me a minute after presentation to have it approved. So, for me, I think what we need is to go out there and popularize it so that we are known for who we are...We don't have to be known for being all over the show. People should know we are tackling poverty; we are tackling inequalities and this is who we are.” 

Ronika and Melody both agree that the Emerge 2.0 has been pivotal for their progress with their endeavours. Asked about impact of the programme on themselves and their organisations, they said, 

“It helped us to think outside the box and connect opportunities as they come...And not holding opportunities as individual opportunities. So what we then did is after learning from Emerge, we then would grab this opportunity and link it to what we had learned. Like for example, we learned about the fundraising strategy and then this opportunity of organizational development came in. What then came into our mind is we have those gaps that we have from what we learned in the Emerge – have the financial strategy...” 

“But also key to all these things is the involvement of our board members. It has taught us to involve them as much as possible. And as we talk, they really appreciate every step that we engage them and it's not now difficult to say we want to invite a board member to go out with us to do this. They are always available because they now appreciate their role as resource mobilisers."

ZWB is now focused on amplifying their new purpose, strengthening partnerships, and deepening their impact.

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