Zimbabwe Sunshine Group

05/05/2026

28/04/2026

yesterday, we had a group of students from the University of Zimbabwe learning on climate change and waste

27/04/2026

🌍 Shaping the Future of Waste Management in Dzivarasekwa!

On Friday, we successfully hosted a project validation workshop at The Venue in Avondale to refine the methodology, tools, and timelines for our Community-Led Waste Management Action Research Initiative.

This project, centered on the proposed establishment of a Community Waste Transfer Station in Dzivarasekwa, is more than just a research project—it is a collaborative effort to strengthen community-led systems, improve livelihoods, and support meaningful waste sector reform.

The event was attended by a full house of dedicated stakeholders, including:
City of Harare,Dialogue on Shelter,Development Governance Institute (DGI),Zimbabwe Homeless People’s Federation and the academia.

💡 Community at the Core
At the heart of our discussion was a core principle: community-led action.
The project places immense value on the role of Community Researchers in shaping this project. By integrating the lived experiences and "community knowledge" of Dzivarasekwa residents, we ensure that the outcomes are not just theoretical, but practical, inclusive, and grounded in reality.
Our community researchers are not just participants—they are the architects of the solutions that will drive environmental sustainability and climate action in their own neighborhoods.

🚀 What’s Next?
With a validated methodology and strengthened data collection tools now in place, we are ready to move into the field. This alignment ensures shared ownership and accountability as we co-create a cleaner, more sustainable future for Harare.

23/04/2026

part of the projects being showcased at the Office of The President and Cabinet (OPC) Harare Metropolitan Province stand during the ongoing Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo. The project is funded by Swedish Embassy in Harare through UNHABITAT.

21/04/2026

Beitbridge is stepping up for climate action 🌱🇿🇼

On 11 March 2026, the Zimbabwe Sunshine Group, in partnership with UNICEF and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, conducted a refresher training for Environmental School Clubs in Beitbridge District under the Climate Action for the Last Mile (CALM) project. The workshop brought together 8 Environmental Club patrons and 32 learner representatives from four schools, along with officials from MoPSE, EMA, the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, and UNICEF.

Through interactive sessions, participants strengthened their understanding of climate change, explored the role of Environmental Clubs in schools, and learnt practical activities such as tree planting, school gardens, waste management and recycling, clean-up campaigns, and water conservation initiatives. Learners also took part in a COP simulation, building their confidence to engage in climate dialogue and global climate governance issues in a child-friendly way.

To support ongoing action, colour-coded waste separation bins were handed over to participating schools to promote proper waste management and environmental cleanliness. With this training, Environmental Clubs in Beitbridge are better equipped to lead climate action in their schools and communities, ensuring that children are at the centre of building climate-resilient futures.

10/03/2026

♻️ From Awareness to Action: Community Leadership Driving a Cleaner Tafara🌱

Since inception, the Harare Sustainable Cities Initiative (HSCI), has worked closely with communities in Tafara and surrounding areas to promote responsible waste management. Through the dedicated efforts of waste pickers stationed at the Integrated Resource Recovery Centre (IRRC) in Tafara, the project has conducted monthly door-to-door awareness campaigns and supported national and local national clean-up initiatives.

📡These engagements did more than raise awareness—they built trust, knowledge, and community ownership. Local residents, community-based organizations, and project implementing partners began to recognize the value of collective action in improving waste management practices.

⏳ As a result, stakeholders came together to establish the Local Reference Committee (LRC)—a platform that brings together local organizations, residents’ groups, and project partners to coordinate community-driven environmental initiatives.

💎A key milestone in this journey was reached when the LRC demonstrated its growing agency and leadership by organizing a National Clean-Up Day in the Gazebo/Caledonia on the 6th of March. The activity was coordinated through Mhuri yeMoto Foundation(a member of the LRC), a youth-led organization that has been actively championing waste management in the area. This moment reflected a powerful shift—from externally driven awareness campaigns to community-led action.

💡Highlights from the Clean-Up Day
The clean-up campaign began at Gazebo Shopping Centre at 9:00 AM, bringing together community members, local organizations, and key stakeholders.
📝Opening remarks were delivered by Mr. Chikoti, Chairman of the Tafara Local Reference Committee, who welcomed participants and acknowledged the collaborative effort behind the event.
📝A key address from the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) emphasized the importance of community clean-ups in protecting public health and maintaining environmental sustainability.
📝Mhuri yeMoto Foundation demonstrated practical waste processing techniques during the clean-up while sharing their ongoing initiatives and appreciation for the support received from partners.
📝The keynote address was given by a representative from UN-Habitat – Mr Fredrick Maphosa - highlighted the goals and impact of the Harare Sustainable Cities Initiative and commended the Local Reference Committee for its leadership, while the Caledonia Peace Committee delivered the vote of thanks.
📝The programme was guided by Ms. Nhapi from Zimbabwe Sunshine Group, who served as the Master of Ceremony.

By the end of the day, the Gazebo area was visibly cleaner and more organized, but the real impact went beyond the physical transformation. The event demonstrated how consistent awareness, community engagement, and inclusive partnerships can empower local communities to take ownership of environmental action.
What began as door-to-door conversations about responsible waste management has evolved into a community-led movement—one where local actors are not only participating but leading the change toward a cleaner, more sustainable city.

09/03/2026

🍌🍅 Did you know leftover food can generate energy?

In many homes, women play a central role in managing household waste, making everyday decisions about how food is prepared, stored, and discarded. When food waste is separated properly, it can be transformed into valuable resources such as:

⚡ Biogas that can be used for cooking and electricity
🌿 Organic fertilizer that helps grow healthier crops

This Women’s Month, we celebrate the powerful role women play in turning simple household practices into climate solutions. By separating food waste from other waste, women can help unlock opportunities for cleaner energy, healthier soils, and more sustainable communities.

Through the Harare Sustainable Cities Initiative (HSCI), communities are being supported to adopt waste segregation at source, alongside the development of community waste infrastructure that makes it easier for households to separate organic and recyclable waste. These community-based systems help ensure that food waste can be recovered and reused rather than ending up in dumpsites where it produces harmful methane emissions.

🤓 Fun-fact : Illegal dumpsites used to flourish where these structures are now being improved in Tafara, Epworth, and at the Showgrounds!

Imagine a future with cleaner neighborhoods, healthier soils, and new sources of energy — starting right in the kitchen.

💚 No food goes to waste when we separate it right.

05/03/2026

♻️✨ From Plastic Waste to Possibility: Tafara’s Young Women Leading Change

In Tafara, a simple fabric bag is becoming a powerful symbol of community action against plastic pollution.

At the Tafara Integrated Resource Recovery Centre, young women are using their sewing skills—and solar-powered machines—to produce durable reusable fabric bags that offer an alternative to single-use plastics.

What may look like an ordinary bag is actually part of a much bigger story. 🧵☀️

Across Harare, plastic waste remains one of the city’s biggest environmental challenges. The city generates over 1,000 tonnes of waste every day, and a significant portion of it is plastic. Lightweight plastic bags often end up clogging drainage systems, polluting rivers, or being burned in open spaces, impacting both the environment and public health.

But in Tafara, the community is showing that solutions can start locally.

These young women are not just sewing bags—they are:

🛍️ Providing reusable alternatives to single-use plastic
👩🏽‍🔧 Building green livelihoods and practical skills
☀️ Using clean solar energy in the production process
♻️ Contributing to a community-driven circular economy

Every bag produced means one less plastic bag entering the environment.

More importantly, it represents something powerful: communities moving from being affected by waste to actively creating solutions.

The work happening in Tafara reminds us that building cleaner cities doesn’t always begin with large systems or policies. Sometimes it begins with local innovation, community leadership, and a sewing machine powered by the sun. This is what is embodied in the project.

💚 Small solutions. Real impact. Community-driven change.

04/03/2026

Climate learning in action in Kuwadzana 🌱

Learners recently took part in a fun, hands-on composting session where they learned how to turn everyday food waste into healthy compost using earthworms — a process called vermicomposting. Instead of throwing food waste away, students discovered how it can become something useful for gardens while also helping protect the environment.

The session was captured on video and will be shared with 40 participating schools, so more students can learn, practice composting, and start similar activities at their schools.

What makes this activity even more important is that the composting projects in schools will help generate real data on:

♻️How much organic waste schools can divert from dumpsites
♻️How composting helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions
♻️How climate actions by schools can support national climate adaptation strategies

This information will contribute to Zimbabwe’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by showing how school-based climate actions can reduce emissions and support sustainable waste management.

What students gained:
✅ Practical composting skills
✅Understanding of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions
✅Real ways young people can take climate action

Young people are not just learning — they are becoming part of the solution and helping shape climate action in Zimbabwe. 🌍

04/03/2026

The Climate Action for the Last Mile (CALM) Project has officially touched down 🛩️ in Mangwe District.

An inception meeting was held on the 2nd of March 2026 which brought together government departments and partners to align on implementation and impact for local schools.

With support from UNICEF Zimbabwe and funding from Korea International Cooperation Agency we are implementing the programme in the district over the next six months.

Key highlights:
🏠10 schools selected (5 primary and 5 secondary) across Wards 3, 9 and 11
🚮Each school will receive 4 waste management and learning bins
♻️Focus on strengthening climate action and environmental awareness among learners

Stakeholders including the Environmental Management Agency and district leadership emphasized collaboration to ensure successful delivery. A district-level coordination committee will also be established, with monthly progress updates to track results.

This marks an important step toward empowering schools and communities with practical climate action solutions.

We are excited to be in Mangwe District working with young people towards a rersilient Zimbabwe!👱‍♀️👱‍♂️

27/02/2026

National strategies must speak to what is happening on the ground.

At the National Validation Workshop on Strengthening Knowledge and Capacity to Prevent and Reduce Releases of Plastic Waste in Zimbabwe, ZSG is bringing the lived realities of communities, waste pickers, local authorities and recyclers into the conversation on Zimbabwe’s Plastic Waste Strategy.

Because environmental policy must work for Mbare, Epworth, Highfield and every community across the country — not just on paper.

Together, we are building practical, Zimbabwean solutions to Zimbabwean challenges. ♻️🇿🇼