partners of the organization during 2008 - ZACRO endeavored to network and link with both local and international natured civil organizations. Some of the highlights on this note are as follows. • One of the major highlights on programming was participation of ZACRO in the March 27 harmonized elections. Its members were fielded as observers. The organization is a coalition remembers of Non Governmental Organizations under the Zimbabwe Election Support Network which provided about 11 000 observers country wide during the harmonized elections. It was not a shift from the traditional objectives of ZACRO which include rehabilitation, restoration and offering humanitarian needs to inmates but the organization just had its members participate in the democratic process involving election buy virtue of citizens and facilitating free and fair lections in the country. • Other major highlights saw Mrs Ponde closely networking with Christian Care and she was Guest of Honor at their Annual Christian Care Week on 24 September 2008. She made a presentation on ZACRO and how the churches can playa meaningful role in bringing hope and spiritual strengthening to those in prison. • ZACRO also participated in a number of civic society activities and functions and interacted with other organizations while promoting the work that ZACRO was doing. • The organization which is part of a coalition under Zimbabwe Election Support Network participated in the observation of the March 29 harmonized elections. However ZACRO members and those of other civil organizations could not observe the June 27 run off for it was a one man contest involving President Robert Mugabe after Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai - leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) did not contest • ZACRO worked on creating linkages with Lawyers for Human Rights. The organization participated in a two day workshop with Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights where the National coordinator made a presentation on conditions in Zimbabwean prisons and human rights for the prisons. This paper appeared on the website and generated interest among many Zimbabweans. Journalists also picked up the information for publication in the international press. While networking was under way by end of the programming period ZACRO was yet to finalize on a partnership with Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) which was interested in legislation and advocacy work around plight of inmates. • ZACRO was also liaising with the Open Society for Southern Africa which needed to examine the prison environment in Zimbabwe and a concept paper was supposed to be drafted and dispatched to this organization. • The organization was also networking and negotiating with International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) in Harare with a view to get more humanitarian assistance mainly in form of food stuffs to starving inmates in the country’s prisons. • Also Action Aid indicated willingness to augment ZACRO efforts towards mitigation of the HIV/Aids in prisons though this was poised to start a pilot project in only two prisons. • Also there was possibility to partner with ZAPSO which indicated to offer HIV testing kits to be used in the prisons. Membership Drive. While ZACRO stepped up resource mobilization and fundraising mainly through effective propjet proposal writing programming most worrying is the organization did not embark on massive membership drive as expected. ZACRO had immense opportunity to boost membership drive but commitment by recruited members or just lack of volunteerism immensely affected the membership drive – a process to have been carried out not only by the secretariat but by branches ZACRO participated in the March 29 2008 harmonized elections and its members who participated as observers did not contribute much to the organization are other programming activities. Many were engulfed by political violence after observing the harmonized elections in the country hence developing low interest to participate in ZACRO programming activities. However the economic environment denied many of the ZACRO members across the country to be actively involved in pursuing the objectives of the organization during 2008. Although annual programming reports were yet to be filled - only Gweru branch had tangible activities which included visits in terms of prisons visits, educational assistance to inmates and rendering 54