By Staff reporter

The German government, through KFW Development Bank, has extended a mammoth lifeline of €6 million (USD 7 131 942.00) for employment programmes that aim to meet the most urgent needs of families who lost a source of livelihoods in the wake of Covid-19 in the region.

Peace Parks Foundation (PPF), together with various governments and partners, will be implementing and coordinating cash-for-work programmes in Mozambique, Malawi, Angola, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

“The €6 million funding provided by German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), through KFW Development Bank, will see the subsidization of thousands of jobs, cash-for-work and food-for-work programmes, to bolster the livelihoods of families in need,” PPF said.

Across southern Africa, the socio-economic shockwaves of the Covid-19 pandemic has left vulnerable communities devastated. The tourism sector, a major driver of jobs and growth on the continent, was the most affected. As it came to a standstill, many people lost their jobs. In Malawi, more than 35 000 people were left without employment while in Mozambique the number reached 5 000 with thousands of other losses anticipated across SADC.

Zimbabwe is not spared especially in areas such as Victoria Falls, Binga and Hwange where a significant number of the population draws their livelihoods from tourism and related activities.

PPF, founded in 1997 by Dr Anton Rupert, President Nelson Mandela and Prince Bernhard of Netherlands, is an organization that aims to re-establish, renew and conserve large ecosystems in Africa, transcending man-made boundaries by creating regionally integrated and sustainably managed networks of Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs). Peace Parks Foundation has been involved in the establishment and development of ten of the 18 TFCAs found throughout Southern Africa, all of which are in various stages of development.