The Link between Rural Institutions and Rural Development: Reflections on Smallholder Farmers and Donors in Zimbabwe

This paper draws on review of current literature to explore the relationship between rural institutions and rural development while reflecting on the linkages of smallholder farmers and donor contribution. The results presented are of qualitative data analysis from previous and current literature. The paper provides a detailed overview of nomenclaturizing rural development as a critical result of improvements in education, health, agriculture, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as part of rural industrialization in rural Zimbabwe. Improving health by investing in increased awareness and access to information sharing among communities, policy development, program planning and service delivery fosters rural development. As the world belatedly turns its attention to the pressing issues of environmental degradation and climate change, the concept of sustainability takes its rightful place at centre stage in discussions about agriculture and rural development. Improving education through promoting information and technology dissemination for learning and access to information, coordination of major sources of funding for education, policy on education for rural areas, conducting research and development as well as the total number of rural farmers assisted.