Abstract:
Since the colonial era, Africa has remained a victim of circumstances such that it has
been affected by a range of problems that make its population suffer in many ways. One
of the problems that continue haunting Africa, particularly most of its third world
countries is poverty. Zimbabwe is one of those countries that have been deeply affected
by crippling poverty levels. The problem of hunger has been exacerbated by the volatile
political atmosphere, tremendous socio-economic upheavals and erratic rainfalls that
Zimbabwe has experienced especially since the turn of the new millennium. Such
experiences have made millions suffering acute poverty, and many others abandoning the
country to other countries in the region and beyond. This study is concerned with the
former group- those who have remained in the country even in the face of all the
aforementioned adversities and try to mitigate suffering through different innovative
strategies. The paper examines how people in the rural areas are coping with poverty, and
it adopts Mukonoweshuro communal area of Gutu, southern Zimbabwe as a case study.
Following observations and research with the Mukonoweshuro people, this paper argues
that joined hands through cooperatives can do a great deal to help in alleviating or even
eradicating poverty if properly executed. The paper gives as one of its recommendations
that the government of Zimbabwe and donor agencies should assist rural communities
with both knowledge/skills and financial resources necessary to alleviate poverty and
bolster sustainable utilization of the resources at the rural peoples’ disposal.
