Building linkages for livelihood security in Chivi, Zimbabwe.

This article examines the role NGO's should play in the participative process, baring in mind the typically short term and localised nature of their operations.
The case of the Intermediate Development Group (ITDG) in Chivi is examined, whereby from the very beginning the project sought to link farming communities with their service organisations, such as government research stations, training institutions and also with farmers in other districts, rather than implement an operational project in the conventional sense. This approach was found to enable farmers to continue to access these sources of information after the life of the project without the need for external support.