Some outtakes from our 2022 Social Welfare Report

Feb 06, 2024

A dive into our latest Social Welfare Report

As we got the year started from mid January, we were happy to welcome back our team from our Christmas shutdown, and in envisaging the coming year we refer back to our Social Impact and review the past year and the effect that we have had on the communities that we serve!

ACHM is a Non-Profit ‘Social Welfare Organisation’ or PVO (Private Voluntary Organisation) registered in Zimbabwe with the Hwange Rural District Council.

Each year we provide a Social Welfare Report to Council, informing them of the work and successes we achieve in our neighbouring communities. This newsletter is going to focus on some key takeouts from our last report, giving you hopefully a more robust idea of what we are doing, our challenges and our successes!

You, as a concerned individual can join us in this ongoing journey and become an integral part of our restorative work, and we welcome you at any time to visit us and see in person the work which you support going on on the ground!

Lao Watson-Smith

General Manager

ACHM, Zimbabwe

If you are in a position to consider a regular monthly congtribution to our work, or can consider a singular one off donation, either will be so gratefully recieved, and will do such good work!

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Social

Economic

Environmental

In the past year, ACHM has celebrated remarkable victories across social, economic, and environmental domains, solidifying its reputation as a pioneering force in Holistic Land and Livestock Management.

Socially, our efforts have been deeply rooted in community empowerment, fostering a sense of ownership and agency among local populations. Through innovative training programs and hands-on workshops, we've equipped individuals with the knowledge and skills to implement holistic management practices, leading to tangible improvements in livelihoods and food security.

Economically, ACHM's impact has been equally profound. By promoting sustainable agricultural practices, we've enabled smallholder farmers to increase productivity and resilience in the face of economic uncertainties. The transition from conventional to holistic management approaches has not only boosted yields but also diversified income streams, creating economic opportunities that extend far beyond traditional farming activities.

From an environmental perspective, ACHM's achievements have been truly transformative. Through the rigorous implementation of Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV), we continue to document gains in ecosystem health and biodiversity. By harnessing the regenerative power of planned grazing and other ecosystem restoration techniques, we've reversed land degradation, restored water cycles, and rejuvenated wildlife habitats. These environmental wins are not only critical for local ecosystems but also contribute to broader efforts to combat desertification and mitigate climate change on a global scale.

As we reflect on the past year, we are humbled by the collective impact of our efforts and inspired by the resilience and determination of the communities we serve. Looking ahead, we remain committed to advancing our mission of holistic land management, driven by a steadfast belief in the transformative power of regenerative practices for people and the plane

A word from our Chairman and Founder, Allan Savory:

“Over the last couple of years I have had to report largely a struggling situation due to covid and weather as well as the common problems for all Zimbabwean organizations trying to survive, let alone flourish, in a harsh economic environment”

Thankfully in this year’s report for 2022 I can, I believe, with confidence state that we appear to have weathered the worst and are now set for fair sailing and more progress. Last year I mentioned that ACHM was increasing its human-wildlife-habitat-management cattle herd to approximately 1,000 head. I believe the significance of this (that land which used to be deteriorating with about 200 cattle and no elephants like most of Zimbabwe, is now dramatically improving by using 1,000 cattle and having hundreds of elephants, is being lost on the government and people of Zimbabwe.) We wish that this Social Welfare report could be distributed to every government agency and NGO operating in Zimbabwe. In 1980, then President Mugabe announced that “Zimbabwe did not have a greater problem than its rising population and deteriorating environment.” Since then our population has risen sharply and our environment has deteriorated more sharply even in some of our major National Parks.

So dramatic is the improvement of the ACHM learning site land that it is drawing world-wide attention because of the problem of desertification all over Africa, America, Australia, China, and Zimbabwe that is fueling climate change. As the host of one National Geographic documentary noted: “The message is an extraordinarily powerful one, and it could be the best thing, the absolute best thing, that conservation has ever discovered."

A one minute video showsthis better than a long report could ever do

Holistic Management vs. Conventional Management - side by side comparison of grazing results

In last year’s report I remarked that “This is something that can be emulated all over our Hwange communal lands and Zimbabwe as fast as theleadership is provided by our institutions – government agencies, Chiefs, and development NGOs – through which people manage at large scale.” There is no doubt that, given training, Zimbabweans all over the nation could be reversing the desertification and land degradation of our nation and leading the world in addressing desertification and climate change. ACHM is an educational/ training welfare organization that has the ability to assist government and the nation at large; however the ACHM staff cannot push people with a piece of string. If government,NGOs and people pull on the string ACHM can respond and assist government and many people.

We hope this good news canspread and look forward to another year of progress with even fewer hindrancesand our increasingly excellent management team.

Allan Savory