Food assistance for assets: programme reach and household food security in Mudzi District, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Recurrent drought and constrained productive assets make rural households in Mudzi District vulnerable to food insecurity. This study assessed the reach and accessibility of the Food Assistance for Assets (FFA) programme and described beneficiary-reported food-security outcomes. A mixed-methods cross-sectional case study combined 30 usable questionnaires from 34 systematically selected beneficiary households, three focus group discussions involving 45 participants, purposively selected key-informant interviews, document review and observation. Survey data were summarized using frequencies and percentages, while qualitative material underwent thematic analysis. Most respondents reported at least intermittent participation in nutritional gardens, small irrigation schemes and weir-dam projects. Although 90% reported two or three meals per day, 86.7% experienced food shortages always or sometimes, indicating continuing seasonal instability and dietary constraints. Limited coverage, subsistence-level production, weak youth inclusion and inadequate irrigation equipment constrained sustained benefits. Because the study involved beneficiaries only and lacked baseline or comparison data, the findings demonstrate reach and perceived contribution rather than causal impact. FFA implementation should combine transparent vulnerability-based targeting, adequate multi-year support, asset maintenance, climate-resilient production and nutrition training, and monitoring with validated food-security indicators.