Civil Society Organisations and Community Partnership for Sustainable Livelihoods and Development in Ward 7 of Chivi District, Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe

A symbiotic partnership between civil society organisationsCivil society organisations and rural communities is an important element for povertyPoverty reduction and improvement of livelihoods. This type of partnership is not always appreciated in ZimbabweZimbabwe as it is often perceived as a ploy for regime change. This article examined civil society-community partnership using ward 7 of Chivi district as a point of reference. This partnership involved a coalition of international non- governmental organisations consisting of CARE International, Christian CARE, Food and Agricultural Organisation, Heifer International, World Vision, Red Cross and communities in Chivi District ward 7 of Masvingo Province. Results showed that this partnership resulted in the improvement of communityCommunity livelihoods through the provision of safe waterWater by drilling solar powered boreholes and promoting gardening to alleviate food shortages in this droughtDrought prone district. The improvement of livelihoods in ward 7 culminated into the achievement of sustainable development goalsSustainable Development Goals number 1 and 2.