Fost Zimbabwe

06/08/2026

FOST attended the just ended International AIDS Scientific Conference held in Brazil to present a paper that was accepted for presentation at the conference in form of a poster presentation. The presentation titled Promoting indigenous Knowledge to influence policy and strengthen Care and support systems for OVC in farming communities in Zimbabwe - Based on Research, Policy and Practice was presented by the FOST Executive Director. HIV and AIDS impact continues to shape the burden of care in Zimbabwe’s farming communities, leaving grandparents and kinship networks as the primary caregivers for orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC). Yet indigenous knowledge remains central to sustainable care models, with kinship care providing culturally legitimate and resilient support for OVC in farming communities, grandparent caregivers, though often unrecognized, are the backbone of kinship care — requiring targeted policy and programmatic support to overcome age, health, and generational challenges.
Evidence-based advocacy by FOST and partners successfully influenced the Government of Zimbabwe to review outdated National Orphan Care Policy, leading to recognition of kinship care as the first placement option in the 2024 National Policy for the Care and Protection of Children Without Parental Care. Research outcomes demonstrate measurable improvements in psychosocial wellbeing through education access for OVC, household food security, household economic activities, community-based support groups and identity rights for OVC — validating kinship care as both cost-effective and impactful. Policy integration of kinship care strengthens national child protection systems, ensuring that community-led solutions are embedded in formal structures. Zimbabwe’s experience offers a replicable model for other Sub-Saharan countries, showing how indigenous caregiving practices can be elevated into national and international child protection frameworks.
Policy integration of kinship care strengthens national child protection systems, ensuring that community led solutions are embedded in formal structures. Zimbabwe’s experience offers a replicable model for other Sub Saharan countries, showing how indigenous caregiving practices can be elevated into national and international child protection frameworks. As HIV care continues to evolve, governments, donors, and service providers must recognize and invest in kinship care as a sustainable and well accepted indigenous knowledge system. Supporting grandparent caregivers is not only about child protection—it is a critical pillar of HIV care, ensuring that families and communities remain resilient in the face of ongoing challenges.
Kinship care is more than tradition—it is a strategic, culturally rooted model that bridges HIV care, child protection, and community resilience. By embedding indigenous caregiving practices into policy and programming, we can strengthen HIV responses and safeguard the wellbeing of millions of children across Africa.

05/08/2026

FOST was honoured to join the Zimbabwean Government delegation at the Southern Africa Family Placement Conference 2026 in Zambia, held from May 6–8. Convened by the Government of Zambia in partnership with Care for Children, this historic regional gathering brought together governments, civil society, and child protection actors to advance family based care and placement.
At the conference, the Government of Zimbabwe reaffirmed its transition from institutional care toward family and community based care. With over 90% of children without parental care in Zimbabwe supported within extended family systems, kinship care was recognized as the most culturally rooted and accepted form of care. Anchored in the Constitution and the Children’s Act, Zimbabwe’s new National Policy for the Care and Protection of Children Without Parental Care prioritizes family strengthening through a six tier safety net system aligned with regional and global priorities.
FOST’s research and advocacy on kinship care have directly contributed to shaping these reforms, ensuring that kinship carers—including those caring for children with disabilities—are recognized as essential partners. On the ground, FOST complements government programs with psychosocial support, parenting interventions, and household economic strengthening, reinforcing the safety net for vulnerable families.
The conference outcomes underscored that Africa should focus on family strengthening strategies by promoting indigenous systems such as kinship care that remain central to Africa’s child protection agenda. Governments, civil society, and partners are urged to invest in kinship care as indigenous knowledge—strengthening families, reducing reliance on institutional care, and ensuring that every child grows up in a loving, protective, and stable family environment. Zimbabwe’s reforms, supported by FOST’s evidence and advocacy, demonstrate how kinship care can be elevated into national and regional frameworks to build resilient, inclusive responses that safeguard the wellbeing of millions of children in need of parental care.

30/07/2026

FOST through its Executive Director, Blessing Mutama shared a Poster Presentation on Promoting indigenous policy and strengthen care and support systems for OVC in farming communities in Zimbabwe. The presentation was shared at the International AIDS Conference 2026. The presentation took a deep dive into the research outcomes and recommendations from FOST researches as well as policy and practice within communities.
Stephen Lewis Foundation Segal Family Foundation OPEC Fund @

28/07/2026

FOST conducted a monitoring and support visit for the Promotion of Health and Hygiene project from the 6th of July to the 10th of July 2026. The visit was conducted with the Mutasa District Water and Sanitation Sub Committee, visiting the local schools and community, addressing health and hygiene support needs, assessing progress made towards an open defaecation free community. Below are pictures of interactions of the DWSSC, FOST and the community:

08/07/2026

08/07/2026

The FOST Director was sharing his contributions as a panelist on Ending Violence Against Children at the National Child Protection Conference in Bulawayo. Blessing Mutama shared FOST research findings on the reality of sexual violence affecting boys in Zimbabwe, with the most current research on Policy Gaps that Affect Sexually Violated Boys and How the Cases are Handled in the Courts of Zimbabwe.

FOST continues to advocate for a safer Zimbabwe for all children.

02/06/2026

Support to Grassroot Organizations for Effective Community Mobilization.
Stephen Lewis Foundation visited the Mutare grandmothers to learn how Grandmothers in Zimbabwe have kept families together through caring of children and activities that help strengthen the family. The grandmothers were given a platform to share their best practices on the Granny Movement including the FOST flagship program known as the Self-Help Group Approach that focuses on household economic strengthening.

Grandmothers! The foundation of Kinship Care!

The Stephen Lewis Foundation