20 on health care, which was noted by a related Zimbabwean study21. This study indicated that persons suffering from Common Mental Disorders [CMD], who will include a significant number of survivors, spent significantly more on medical treatment than other categories of patients. One of the most pressing matters for rural families if that of food security, and, as can be seen from Figure 9 below, it was evident that survivors generally had worse food security than their neighbours. Figure 9. Period food stocks will last. [from Reeler & Mhetura.2000] 45 40 35 30 25 Client 20 Control 15 10 8-12 months 4-7 months 1-3 months none 0 more than 12 months 5 In general, it was evident that both groups reported high levels of poverty and inability to provide adequately for their children, irrespective of whether the child was of school-going age or not. Most of the subjects were subsistence farmers, and derived their income mainly from agricultural activities, especially from the selling of crops and animals. However, the Controls were more likely to have some form of employment and more likely to have earnings coming from outside agricultural activities. The Controls reported more frequently that they had received recent income, and were slightly more likely to have earnings in the higher ranges than the survivors. These findings suggested greater economic security for the Controls. Although the activities described were regarded as income generating, very few in either group derived much income from these activities. The main activity described for both groups was market gardening, but this activity did not generally yield much income for either group. However, it was noteworthy that Controls generally earned more than twice as much than the survivors. There were differences between the two groups in their spending power, with the Controls reporting having greater spending power than the survivors. This was consonant with the findings of greater income earning by the Controls. It is interesting that there were differences between the groups about what were the causes of poverty. The survivors had reasons that were very much related to OVT - war destruction, confiscation of cattle [lack of draught power], and poor accommodation - whereas the Controls saw the more 21 See Patel, V., Todd, C., Winston, M., Simunyu, W., Acuda, W., & Mann, A. (1997), Common mental disorders in primary care in Harare, Zimbabwe: associations and risk factors, BRIT.J.PSYCHIAT., 171, 60-64. AMANI TRUST: Psycho-Social assistance to Survivors of the Liberation War. A report on Mashonaland Central Province, Zimbabwe.