## **Zimbabwe Victims’ Support Fund and its Purposes** During 2021, the ZVSF Trustees in the UK, working with our partners and colleagues in Zimbabwe, have continued to supply food aid to the people of Matabeleland. The 2021 maize harvest in Zimbabwe amounted to 2.7m tonnes, 200% above the 2020 level and 130% above the average over the last 10 years. Despite this, there were substantial areas of Matabeleland North and South where the harvest was poor either because of excessive rainfall or because of a shortage of inputs. It is the peoples of precisely these areas whom are targeted with the regular deliveries of mealie meal. Their inability to meet their own food requirements was compounded by the problems caused by the rapidly deteriorating value of the Zimbabwean dollar (which fell by nearly 30% against the US dollar over the year) and the Covid lockdowns (which prevented travel to the major urban centres). Overall, the quantity of mealie meal which was purchased with funds from ZVSF fell from 406 tonnes in 2020 to just 287 tonnes in 2021 – reflecting the reduced need following the good harvest. Pastor Albert Chatindo who had been responsible for the vast bulk of the food distributed, sadly died in September 2021 and his key role has been passed to two pastors who had been closely associated with him. They have continued to supply food to the really needy people in Gwanda, Plumtree South, Beit Bridge, Masvingo, Mazwi, Killarney, Spring Farm and Heaney Junction – all these communities are in regions of acute deprivation and food shortage. We also supplied primary schools in Lupane with mealie meal when they were not closed because of Covid. As in previous years, 20 tonnes went to Hillside Methodist Church for onward distribution to the needy of Bulawayo, including the Island Hospice, Bulawayo Shelter and a hospice run by Youth for Christ. ## **Research and Consultation** The Trustees remain in close contact with the partners and colleagues in Bulawayo so that they are aware of local developments. They also monitor Zimbabwean on-line publications and take into account such research as is published by FEWS Net (Famine Early Warning Systems Network – funded by US Aid) – which substantiate the reports from our colleagues. From time to time, one of our Trustees has visited Zimbabwe with a view to ensuring that ZVSF’s modus operandi is in line with the needs of the people of Matabeleland. The most recent visit was in March 2022. ## **Advocacy and Information** The Trustees have continued to post relevant information on the ZVSF website in order to communicate with those British people interested in and concerned about the plight of Zimbabweans. They have also opened a Facebook page which focuses on the work of ZVSF in Zimbabwe. They distribute to past and present donors bi-annual reports on the activities of ZVSF, and they promote the work of the Charity whenever and wherever possible by presentations, conversations and digital communications. Zimb?bwp. Vtr.tlmq' .RIiDDDrt Fiind RECFIPTS & PAYMFNTS ACCOUNT ' vear iv i"1 d4id'l RECF.IPTS Q Inl•rp81 9,41Q C?rft aid refiind 10.508 PAYMF.NT8 177 674 t￿n￿rA1 570 Finance Costs 493 il¢SiiVli ix UTh {5,6391 SURPLUSI(DEFICITI 1984) ¥2, I¥Li I"UNUS brought loNard 31.111 27117 -, he funds carried f0Th￿rd at 31 December 2￿1 (2nd 31 December ?.O?.01 are re.Drespnted by caqh al .8irynprf nn lJph?M r)f Iho rh.?rffty'8 tnJstep)8 4on Trpa8tir@r Trustpe DdtL. Ddie Indcpendcnt ¢xaminc¢s TqK)rt to the truslees of the Zimbabwe ViLlims' Support Ftind 1."7.VSF"I I report on thL accounts of 7.VSF for the ycar lo 31 tkccmbcr 2021. which are s¢i oui on pabbe l. RLSPLcIivL [￿￿￿51b1111lc￿ of tsusiccs and &xamincr Thc charily'.4 Iru.4iC¢S ar¢ r¢>wnsibl¢ lur th¢ prepardtion olthe accounL%. Thc charit￿$ irusices con.sidcr il)at an audit is nol riquircd for thi% ycar under SLXlion 144121 of Ihc L'hdriii¢s ALI 2011 Ith¢ ?0 I I ALI) and thai an indepcndcnl examinatson is nLLdLd. li is Iny rLsponsibility lo.. Lxainin¢ ihL aL¢ounts under seLtion 145 ofthc ?01 I ALI: • io follow ihL pfoLLxlures laid do￿.1) in th¢ gLYiernl t)irL'clioiis given by ihe Charity C'oinmission undcr SLLtioii 1451SMbl uf ihL 2011 A¢1: ai)d io %LaiL wI)LIIILf P4lrtiLulJr mJtfL Th havL comL to my atl¥ntion. My LXiiiniiiali()11 IVJ% LarriLd (Jul in JLIDrJunLL wilh ihL ¥LnLrJl r)irL￿111)lI% givcn hy tIiL C'l)ariiy C'uiiimi.ssion. An Lxaniiiiation includcs a rcvicw ol. thL acLouniinbi rLYord5 kLPi by ihc LliJrity and a compari%On ol'ih¥ 0cLoUn￿ pr¢sL'nlcd with i1￿sL. Tecords. li also includes LonsidLfiiiion ol-any Unu￿￿1 ifLin% or di%clivburL* in thL alcounis. dnd SLLkinb> Lxplanali()n% rrom you InJ.sl¥LS LunLLrnin&y aiiy SULh maiiLrs. TIIL PTULedur¢s uiidLrtJkLii du iiol prvvide ill tliL LvidLIILL ih411 wuuld be r¢quirLd in Judil and lon￿￿Ul￿11Y no opinioii 1% gFiVLn 10 wIILII)Lr th¥ d¢lUUlll% prL.%Lnl a'lrue and fair vicw. and ihL' rcport is limiied io ihosL matl¥rs I vui iii ih¥ slalLmLni bLIow. IndqKndent examinerfs SLii¢meni In ¢unnLLtion wilh iny Lxaminalion. no mallLr has comc lo my all¢niion: I I I whiLh bbives ML fLYbonabl¥ lo bcliev¥ ihal in any material rLbpeLi the re4uifLmLni%.' to kL¥P aLiouiiiingv rLx'urd% in a¢cordatic¢ wilh SL*iion 130 ofihc ?01 l Acl; and io prLP4ifL' ￿LouI)I% whiLh accord ￿'ith IIK" accouniingtr rL'¢oril% dnd Loinply witli ihL dCL(iuniinb* fLyuifLIIILniN ol-IhL 2011 ALt havL not bLxn MLI: or l?) to which. in my opinion. attcntion should bc drdwn in order lo cnablc a pri)p¢r und¥r.%LandinbF of the aLcounts to bL' rcachcd. David Steeds MA FCA l LiiilLWlTrrth AN'eiiuL'. Esher. KTIO 9PB I X July 2022