Zimbabwe was once the breadbasket of southern Africa. However, for a number of years, economic and political problems have compounded the impact of drought for ordinary rural communities.
Millions of people have been faced with dwindling food supplies and rocketing prices. Families have been going hungry. Even when the rains arrive, the ongoing lack of support for farmers and lack of affordable seeds and fertiliser means that the country can only meet around 25 per cent of its needs.
But Oxfam is working with the UN's World Food Programme to help feed more than 253,000 people in three districts of Midlands province, one of the most hard-hit areas of the country. We have distributed rations for the month of 10kg of maize (which forms the staple of the Zimbabwean diet) per person plus 1 kg of pulses and 0,45 litres of cooking oil.
For people like Sindire Jiri these staple rations are more than welcome: "I can now feed my family. I'm so happy. We've only had one proper meal in the last three days. The rest of the time we've eaten wild fruits and vegetables that aren't even ripe."
In addition to dealing with the immediate needs, Oxfam has also been helping to provide seeds for winter cropping, fertiliser and pushing for greater investment in agriculture to prevent a future crisis.