Nkayi District of Matabeleland North Province is situated in natural region four – an area prone to erratic spatial and temporal rainfall distribution, which often leads to dry spells and arid/drought-like conditions.  Mean rainfall in this region is 450–650 mm, an amount insufficient for most cash cropping.  As a result, livestock and drought-resistant fodder crop production are the major economic engines in the largely rural areas selected for programme implementation. These conditions make the districts highly vulnerable to poverty. In addition, with a political and cultural history sometimes perceived as counter to the dominant power structures in the country, the district is generally regarded as among the least developed areas of Zimbabwe.