Project Proposal Summary | villageforceafrica.org | March 2024 / Revised 29 Mar 2025
- Registered CIO charity commission number in England: 1204440
- villageforceafrica@gmail.com Contact: Lesley Ann Dawes
- Cooperative Bank Charity community account:
- Account number: 67312524-00
Sort Code: 08-92-99
BIC: CPBKGB22
IBAN: GB 14CPBK08929967312524
1. Aims of Village Force Africa
Village Force Africa aims to change and empower the lives of African villagers. The initial project focuses on village BH29 in North Western Zimbabwe (near Victoria Falls). This village endures the worst conditions of all the villages in the area and is the starting point for our work.
2. Our Local Contacts in Zimbabwe
We regularly correspond with Mr Thabani Happiness Mnkandla, who has replied to our many questions about conditions in his village, BH29. He is a senior community member and is respected by the other villagers. He is one of our two main contacts in the area and is on the UK Board of Trustees.
Mr Mnkandla is supported by Queen Silibaziso Mlotshwa, who is also on our UK Board of Trustees and active in our work alongside our team of trusted volunteers. Her Excellency has confirmed that village BH29 is the most deprived of all the 100,000 inhabitants in her area of governance. There are 54 additional villages needing assistance in the area.
We are contacting existing contacts in Zimbabwe through our President, Mr Tom Tagoe, who has considerable knowledge and experience working in Zimbabwe and through our church contacts. Mr Tagoe has experience in Social Protection, Microfinance, Development of Financial and Social Inclusion strategies, Advisory Services in Social Entrepreneurship, and Capacity Building. He has worked on UNDP and World Bank projects across Africa.
3. The situation in village BH29
The people of village BH29 have little or no functioning sanitation. They once had Blair toilets (pit toilets), but these have mostly fallen into disrepair, are dangerous to use, or do not function. The villagers must risk their lives every time they respond to a call of nature, using the bush as their lavatory, with consequent risks to health through the spread of disease.
Wild animals roam freely in the area, creating wildlife/human conflict. These animals attack the villagers’ cattle and goats, destroy their crops, and are a difficulty in their lives. Yet the area is dependent upon tourism, so the animals are an important attraction. In the village, there are 180 under-18s, 30 over 65s and a total population of 685 villagers who live in hut complexes, which are self-built and have no facilities.
I have contacted both Oxfam and Christian Aid only to be informed that they are currently engaged in the North of the country and that there are no plans to assist this area, which lies in the North West of the country.
The village water supply in BH29 relies on one functioning borehole with a heavy manual pumping system requiring two people to operate. Repairs take approximately a month to complete, causing delays in accessing clean water. The current storage system allows for water degradation and potential bacterial contamination. The boreholes frequently run dry, having an impact on the villagers’ access to drinking water and their ability to water their crops, resulting in potential starvation and loss of income. This situation is exacerbated by an outbreak of cholera in the region, highlighting the urgent need for improved water infrastructure to ensure the health and livelihood of the villagers. VFA has now completed the drilling of a new borehole which will give constant ‘true’ water,i.e. unaffected by climate fluctuations. This has been capped and cannot be used until the Completion of Phase 2 of the Borehole project
4. Village Force Africa Plans
VFA plans to improve these problems using an integrated system of a solar-powered bore-hole pump, water catchment tanks, composting toilets, and washing facilities sufficient for each household.
‘My Trees’ fuel efficientfuel-efficient stoves offer a solution to the energy needs for cooking, thus alleviating dependence on the surrounding bush and reducing deforestation.
A water management committee has been established with responsibility for proper maintenance, use and security of the borehole installation, with a chief pump minder.
5. Collaboration Partners
The Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust is collaborating with VFA to share their education programmes on managing improvements in agricultural and husbandry techniques and is sharing their existing established links with other local Trusts.
The charity’s initial aims are to provide safe sanitation, clean water, and diversification projects including sewing projects, raising rabbits and chickens and growing mushrooms for the local tourist lodges.
6. Founding of the charity and some more detail
This is a new charity with Board members who have experience in gaining funding for this type of project, contacts or experience who will help direct, develop and support the charity or have the skills needed for the positive and effective operation of the charity. The Board includes Baroness Janet Fookes and Deacon Michael Turnbull and is advised by businessman Mr Tom Tagoe with additional advice and local knowledge from our Zimbabwean Trustees.
We aim to create a self-sustaining project that can be transferred to other villages in need in Zimbabwe and elsewhere in Africa. In BH29, once basic needs are met, we plan to develop a piece of land available for use by the villagers. The land measures approximately 2 hectares and lies approximately 5 kilometres from the Victoria Falls International Airport and 20 minutes’ drive from the town of Victoria Falls.
7. Land Deeds administration
The deeds are currently held by Mr Mnkandla’s father, who has direct control over the land. His father is willing to transfer the deeds to the charity once they are needed and we are able to fund the legal processes required for the transference.
We see this as an essential basis for the charity’s operation. By holding the deeds to the land, the charity would maintain control over its usage in perpetuity, and we would ensure that no other individual or group could exploit the building or land. This lends security to the charity’s investors/funders.
8. Further possible projects envisaged for Village BH29
- Multi-purpose Building
The project aims to develop this land to provide a multi -use community centre and medical post with overnight facilities for villagers requiring medical treatment/supervision.
- 4×4 Transport vehicle for the village
A vehicle is needed to negotiate the deep Kalahari sand of the access track from the main road. There is no permanent vehicle in the village and community transport is essential, not only for access to the Town in emergencies, for transporting goods to and from the village but also for taking villagers for training in new skills in town and benefiting from diversification projects.
The transport would also take children to the main road for onward transport through the Schools Conservation Education Programme.
- Skills Development and Education
We aim to support the development of any suitable diversification scheme including a corn grinding enterprise and expansion of the diversification skills mentioned above. New agricultural and stock management practices will increase the income and resilience of the village. The establishment of a Grazing Area Committee will be established. Access will be given to free veterinary services through VFWT.
10. Monitoring the projects
The project would be carefully monitored and co-ordinated through volunteers from the village. VFA has a charity bank account based and managed in the UK with properly audited accounts. We have an appointed Treasurer who is also a Trustee, and we use a solicitor in Zimbabwe. We will seek support from various grant-making bodies, independent funding foundations and philanthropic individuals.
We are raising initial funds through various initiatives supported by our local church, St John the Evangelist, in St Leonard’s-on-Sea and the local St Leonard’s community.
11. Village Force Africa | Board Members and President
PRESIDENT: Mr Tom Tagoe (Group Chairman and founder of Harley Reed Limited)
BOARD MEMBERS 2025:
Lesley Ann Dawes (Chair)
Alistair Dawes (Web liaison)
The Reverend Michael Turnbull
Jocelyn Cannings
Alan Privett (Treasurer)
Patina Naa-Oyoo Blankson
The Baroness Janet Fookes DBE
Thabani Happiness Mnkandla (Zimbabwe)
Queen Silibaziso Mlotshwa (Zimbabwe)
OUR TEAM IN ZIMBABWE
L to R of some of our Team : Brenden Sibanda, Happiness Mnkandla, Gilbert Ncube (front), (Francis – Head man behind), Providence Murewa, Councillor Moyo, Valerie Mpunzi
Brenden Sibanda
Gilbert Ncube
Mitchelle Chiyangwa
Bernard Phiri
Providence Murewa
Valerie Mpunzi