Lorraine is an accomplished community development and rural livelihoods specialist with over a decade of experience designing, implementing, and managing participatory development projects in Zimbabwe. Lorraine leads efforts to empower vulnerable communities, strengthen food security, and build resilience through inclusive, locally driven initiatives.

Lorraine’s career spans diverse roles in international NGOs, government, and the private sector. Most recently, as Project Field Officer with World Vision International, she managed the UN-WFP Food for Assets programme in Mt Darwin, successfully mobilizing and training beneficiaries, supervising the construction of vital assets such as nutrition gardens, weir dams, dip tanks, solar-powered boreholes, and fodder banks. Her work emphasized sustainability, stakeholder engagement, and robust monitoring and evaluation, ensuring that projects met both donor and community expectations.

Previously, Lorraine served as an Irrigation Engineer and District Head Technician with Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanization and Irrigation Development, where she led feasibility studies, designed and managed irrigation schemes, and provided technical training to farmers. She played a key role in projects funded by UNDP, Save the Children, and UNICEF, focusing on nutrition gardens, water and sanitation, and the rehabilitation of key agricultural infrastructure. Her early experience as Programme Coordinator with Mercy Corps saw her spearheading food aid and drought relief efforts, establishing nutrition gardens, and promoting internal savings and lending schemes for community resilience.

Lorraine is recognized for her participatory approach, working closely with community groups, conducting needs assessments, and building local capacity for sustained impact. She is adept in project cycle management, from feasibility and design to implementation, monitoring, and reporting. Her technical expertise spans water resources engineering, rural development, agricultural production, and disaster risk reduction.

She holds a Master’s in Disaster Management Policy (Water-Related Disasters) from the International Centre for Water Hazard Management (ICHARM/UNESCO, Japan), a BSc in Natural Resources Management and Agriculture (Midlands State University, Zimbabwe), and a Diploma in Agriculture (Chibero Agricultural College). She is skilled in Microsoft Office, ArcGIS, Mathematica, ILWIS, and project management software.

At Project Yananai, Lorraine Rukarwa leads national community engagement, championing participatory development, sustainable livelihoods, and resilience-building programs. Her commitment to inclusive approaches, technical excellence, and stakeholder collaboration ensures that Yananai’s community initiatives deliver measurable, lasting change for Zimbabwe’s most vulnerable populations.