Zindoga, Blessing Josiah2017-04-192017-04-192008http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11837/739has taken charge in most developing countries, unfavourable to the wellbeing of the less economically advantaged populations. Seemingly, Zimbabwe is not an exception to this development. Increasing concerns have been expressed about the effects of the several interventions aimed at poverty reduction in Zimbabwe, both from within and outside the country. The programmes and projects that have been devised to address poverty nationally and at local levels since 1980 have allocated vast amounts of resources and funding to different projects and initiatives. The nature of these initiatives have not demonstrated huge and resounding successes mostly because there have been serious shortcomings in their conceptualisation and implementation. Based on the social development theory that believes that the human being should be the centre of development, this paper conceived poverty as deprivation of means of securing necessities in life. This research focused on assessing why the contribution of Food-for-work and Cash-for-work (public works) programmes towards reducing vulnerability of households to the problems of food deprivation, unemployment, and social exclusion in making important decisions in life has not produced resounding results. This dissertation provides answers the problem and sub-questions based on both quantitative and qualitative data collected from a focus group discussion and a household questionnaire survey carried out in July-August 2008. From the discussions held it was established that, poverty in the Gutu District is strongly linked to a failure of productive agriculture and exclusion from formal or urban wage employment. The main conclusions are that the public works programme has neither brought all the benefits its proponentsenPublic service employment -- South AfricaGutu District (Zimbabwe)Rural development -- ZimbabwePoverty -- ZimbabweThesis