The We Are One Fund initiative is steadily evolving into something more deliberate, a coordinated, locally driven response. In previous issues, we explored an uncomfortable but necessary truth: while the need is urgent, sustainable support systems cannot rely solely on external aid. The responsibility to respond must increasingly sit with us, within our communities, our institutions, and our private sector.

This issue marks a meaningful shift. We are beginning to see early signs of what collective responsibility looks like in practice. To date, 8 corporate partners have stepped forward, not just in solidarity, but in tangible ways, through financial contributions and in-kind support that directly strengthen services for survivors. This brings our corporate partners to seven.

Corporate Zimbabwe Steps Forward

In a landscape where the response to gender-based violence has often depended on external funding cycles, a new pattern is beginning to emerge, one rooted in local agency and shared responsibility.

Over the past quarter, five new corporate partners joined our three existing partners to support the We Are One Fund, offering both financial support and in-kind resources to strengthen frontline services for survivors. While each contribution varies in form and scale, they share a common thread: a recognition that addressing GBV is not only a social imperative, but a collective one.

These contributions are already making a difference. Financial support is helping to stabilise critical services within shelters, ensuring continuity in areas such as psychosocial care, safe accommodation, and operational capacity. At the same time, in-kind donations, from essential supplies to professional services, are easing immediate pressures and allowing frontline organisations to focus on what matters most: supporting survivors with dignity and care.

Beyond the immediate impact, something equally important is taking shape.
These early contributions are helping to demonstrate what local giving can look like when it is structured, visible, and purpose driven. They challenge the notion that meaningful support must come from outside and instead position local institutions as active participants in driving solutions.

As each organisation that steps forward does more than contribute resources, they help to normalise participation, expand the circle of responsibility, and make it easier for others to follow. The question now is not whether local giving is possible. It is how quickly it can grow.

• Fast food industry giant Simbisa Brands stepped in as a Platinum partner with a monthly donation of $1,000 over the next 12 months.
• As a leader in the tobacco industry, Premium Leaf Zimbabwe joined the We Are One initiative as a Platinum partner contributing $10,000 to Adult Rape Clinic’s GBV response operations.
• Platinum partners Southland Regional and OxProp also came through with $6,800 and $12,000, respectively, to support the Adult Rape Clinic, to provide lifesaving first point of critical medical intervention for survivors of sexual assault. Their support will ensure that survivors of sexual assault receive timely and dignified medical and psychosocial support.
• Victoria Foods contributed mealie-meal, sugar beans, rice, flour, and popcorn valued at $2,000 to support survivors at 16 shelters managed by Musasa, Shamwari Yemwanasikana, Rozaria Memorial Trust, and one-stop centres run by Zimbabwe Association of Church-Related Hospitals.

“We are deeply grateful to Victoria Foods for the generous donation. [It] will sustain 50 teen mothers over the next coming months ensuring they have nourishment, dignity, and hope as they rebuild their lives.” – Shamwari Yemwanasikana

We invite individuals, corporates, and institutions to consider becoming long-term partners in this initiative. Sustainable support enables frontline organisations to strengthen, amplify survivor-centred services, and build a coordinated national response.

Together, we can ensure that no organisation responding to GBV stands alone – and no survivor is left without support.
If you are interested in learning more about partnership opportunities or supporting the digital fundraising platform, we would be glad to connect.