Ownership and Innovation in Zimbabwe

My name is Biggie (Bigbouy) Chikwavarara, and I am a former Senior Advisor and Local Works Coordinator for USAID Zimbabwe.

I grew up in rural Zimbabwe in a poor family, not so sure what education would bring. I would have gone straight to the army. My friends went. I lost some of them in the Second Congo War in the nineties. But a local headmaster saw the potential I had. He got me a scholarship that took me from the village into town. I started to see things differently. It was eye-opening. I said, “Oh, so I can actually be like this.” That opportunity changed everything.

That is why I believe so strongly in locally led development. You rarely imagine someone’s potential if you do not give them the opportunity to speak and say, “That’s not our challenge.” Information is power.

Local Works allowed us to go and consult, go and listen, go and observe. Without Local Works, we wouldn’t have done what we were doing. Traditional development was top-down. There was no voice. But with Local Works, we said, “We will first come and listen and talk and agree on priorities.” That is huge.

Local Works promoted ownership, innovation, flexibility, the ability to experiment, the willingness to learn. It exposed people to opportunities so they can raise their eyes and pick a pathway of their choice.

I have bought uniforms and paid school fees for kids in my village. I have worked with farmers to embrace farming as a business. I have worked with young people who are idle, resorting to substances and drugs. I wanted to help them get better jobs, start and grow their own businesses, earn a living.

What keeps me going is seeing people getting better. Unlocking hidden potential. In our language we say you cannot laugh at somebody who is still breathing. If I see one person changing their story, then I know the work brought positive change.

We know the local systems. We know the challenges. We interact with the people. We believe in championing development. All we need is some little catalysts so that we can change more lives and have more results.

And I know we will. We are touching lives. We are changing lives. We keep on fighting, and it will be well.