Loveness Makonese

Programme Specialist – United Nations Population Fund Zimbabwe

Loveness Makonese is an academic, humanitarian and development practitioner with more than 15 years’ experience. Her work has specialized in Gender, Emergency health, Resilience building, social protection, inclusion and participation, nutrition, HIV and AIDS. She has special expertise in programme design, implementation, evaluation, knowledge management and Joint UN resource mobilization and partnership management. She is currently Deputy Representative for UN Women Zimbabwe. Throughout her career Loveness has worked for United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Zimbabwe Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Health, CARE International, Institute of Land, Poverty and Agrarian Studies, Goal International, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN(FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (Smallholder Irrigation) Zimbabwe. Loveness has also provided consulting services for Rebel Advisory Group Better Schools project in Zimbabwe, International Organization for Migration, Zimbabwe Women Resource Network Centre, and research on Gender, Cultural and Social Dynamics of Corruption for Transparency International Zimbabwe. She is a published researcher and author. She has a PhD in Sociology from Rhodes University in South Africa (2013), MPhil in Land and Agrarian Studies from the University of Western Cape in South Africa (2007) and a BSc Degree in Sociology from University of Zimbabwe. She is also a qualified and certified trauma and family counsellor from Connect Zimbabwe.

Loveness Makonese has carried out research in her native Zimbabwe on maternal and child health, integration of HIV and Sexual Reproductive Health Issues, gender, and the elderly. Her work also focuses on strengthening community-based organisations and groups of people through training and mentorship. Through her work and research, she has developed an interest in understanding the sexual reproductive health needs, behaviours, and contextual factors amongst displaced adolescents (street children, refugees, and those internally displaced) in Zimbabwe; and how these issues are addressed in current policy. She has also explored how health systems focusing on sexual reproductive health can effectively integrate issues pertinent to adolescents and youth. Since 2010, Makonese has been a key team member in designing and conducting annual national vulnerability assessments in Zimbabwe, developing baseline, mid-term, and end of program impact studies for the FAO's food and nutrition security projects. Loveness has also provided consulting services for Rebel Advisory Group Better Schools project in Zimbabwe, IOM and Zimbabwe Women Resource Network Centre, research on Cultural and Social Dynamics of Corruption and conducted training with Solomon Mutambara on Electronic Data Collection for Emergency response with support from the HI2 Seed Grant Support.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS AND RESEARCH

1. Makonese, L. 2018. “Other people inherit property-but I inherit people and their problems”- Role of kinship and social capital in providing care and support for the HIV infected and AIDS affected in Chivanhu informal Settlement, Masvingo, Zimbabwe in Ed Helliker, K, Chiweshe, M.K and Bhatasara, S. The Political Economy of Livelihoods in Contemporary Zimbabwe, Routledge, London

2. Makonese L and Mundopa, M., 2017, Gender Culture and Corruption in Zimbabwe in Transparency International Corruption and Cultural Dynamics in Zimbabwe2016-2017 Annual State of Corruption Report, TIZ, Harare.

3. Mazzeo, J and Makonese, L. Experiences of collaboration, coordination, and efficiency in the delivery of

HIV/AIDS home-based care in Zimbabwe. African Journal of AIDS Research 2009, 8(4):443-53. 

4. Makonese, L. Livelihoods and HIV/AIDS: A Case Study of Nhamoinesu Village. VDM Verlag, April 9, 2009.