Zimbabwe Project Trust

The Zimbabwe Project Trust (ZimPro) is a Zimbabwean, national Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) that was established in 1978 in the United Kingdom (UK) as a Charity organization. Its purpose then was to channel assistance from European donors to assist Zimbabwean refugees in Mozambique, Botswana, and Zambia at the time Zimbabwe was fighting for political independence from Britain. At the attainment of independence in 1980, ZimPro relocated to Zimbabwe where it registered as a Private Voluntary Organization (PVO) with the purpose of integrating ex-war soldiers and refuges into civil society. It also worked with the poor and marginalized communities in rural and urban areas assisting them to uplift their social status through grant finance, skills training, educational support, and leadership development. By 1982, ZimPro had established a Head office in Harare and a regional office in Bulawayo and these are still functional. In the early years of its operations in Zimbabwe, ZimPro had a bias toward working with cooperatives and rural communities engaged in various social and economic activities but to date, this has since changed due to change in context. For instance, poverty which was seen as a rural phenomenon has now adversely affected urban populations thereby increasing their vulnerability. Although ZimPro’s used to spread in all the ten provinces of Zimbabwe, a decision was made to refocus and prioritize Matabeleland South, Midlands, Masvingo, Manicaland, Bulawayo, and Harare, depending on successful fundraising efforts. Currently, the organization’s funded projects are in Matabeleland South only.