An Investigation Into The Livelihoods Strategies Of Informal Women Traders In Zimbabwe

This article investigated the livelihoods strategies of informal women traders doing business at flea markets in Zimbabwe. The study was conducted in Harare at a near the Central Business District. The study was informed by the Sustainable Livelihood Approach proffered by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency Division (SIDA, 2001) for Policy and Socio-Economic Analysis. A qualitative design was utilised and data was gathered through interviews, focus group discussions and observations during transect walks. The specific objectives of the study included the following; to discover micro credit schemes used by the informal women traders doing business at this particular flea market, to explore the impact of microcredit schemes as pathways towards poverty eradication amongst informal women traders; to examine the survival and coping challenges experienced by women doing business under socio-economic environment hardships and finally, to determine possible interventions and sustainable strategies that could be used to out-scale and throw a lifeline to the informal women traders. The study revealed that while women informal traders engaged in diverse activities for their sustainable livelihoods strategies that eradicate poverty, vast majority of informal women traders encountered numerous challenges, resulting in them employing unpleasant survival and tough coping techniques. The study concluded that if financing institutions and Non Governmental Organizations could give them small funds for capacity building for local empowerment; this would help them to gain access and control of their sustainable livelihoods resources in a meaningful way. The study is therefore proposing sound policy interventions and sustainable strategies that could be used to empower informal women traders doing business at flea markets for them to gain access and full control over livelihoods resources in Zimbabwe. the strategies of in the Micro MCSs as the easily repayable small loans that low income earners get informally from people in the same network, and from formal credit lending institutions like banks and microfinance institutions. The prime objectives included; to discover micro credit schemes used by informal women traders doing business at flea markets; to examine the survival and coping challenges experienced by informal women traders doing business at flea markets under socio-economic environmental and to determine and that could and to women traders. The


Introduction
Internationally, particularly in developing countries including Zimbabwe, the informal sector plays fundamental roles to eradicate poverty.  reveal that, be it in developed or developing countries, economic activities can be broadly categorized into two; formal and informal sector the world over. Whereas salaried workers in the formal sector denote workers in registered enterprise, unsalaried workers in the informal sector represent workers in the unregistered businesses 3 or activities for poverty eradication. Poverty as defined by the Zimbabwe Poverty Report (ZPR) (2017) refers to; "the inability to attain a level of well-being constituting a realistic minimum as defined by society".
This study investigated the livelihoods strategies of women in the informal sector engaged in Micro Credit Schemes, (MCSs) at a flea market for poverty eradication in Zimbabwe. Mugabi (2010) describes MCSs as the easily repayable small loans that low income earners get informally from people in the same network, and from formal credit lending institutions like banks and microfinance institutions. The prime objectives included; to discover micro credit schemes used by informal women traders doing business at flea markets; to examine the survival and coping challenges experienced by informal women traders doing business at flea markets under socio-economic environmental hardships and ultimately, to determine interventions and sustainable strategies that could be used to out-scale and throw a lifeline to the informal women traders. The study was informed by the

Sustainable Livelihoods Framework proffered by Swedish International Development Cooperation
Agency (SIDA, 2001); a Division for Policy and Socio-Economic Analysis; specifically an action programme to promote sustainable livelihoods for the poor.

Background To The Study
The United Nations Systems; regional commissions, international, regional financial institutions and other donor agencies are concerned with endless efforts to eradicate poverty amongst the most vulnerable groups. The United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006); the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (UNMDG, 2015) and the Sustainable Development Goals, (2015) initiatives for example highlight the need to eradicate poverty. All the stakeholders explored together in coming up with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); especially Goal No 1 with a thrust to end extreme poverty in all its forms everywhere. The stakeholders agreed at the global level on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs, 2015) as an important framework for poverty reduction the world over. As indicated earlier, many countries have adopted the various poverty devices for poverty eradication amongst the most vulnerable groups; women in particular.
The World Summit for Social Development held in Copenhagen in March 1995 underline the 4 importance of improving access to credit schemes for people with low or no income with special consideration to the needs of women. Srinivas (2005) and Karlan (2005) agree that women approximately constitute 75 percent of all MCSs recipients worldwide. The United Nations (2012) reaffirms that Informal Women Traders (IWTs) engaged in MCSs could unleash the economic potential of hundreds of millions of the worlds' poorest which was not the case before. These international observations necessitate the quest to investigate poverty with regards to informal women traders and MCSs for poverty eradication involvement under economic and environmental hardships.
At regional level, in countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa, poverty eradication by women doing business at flea markets has become a common phenomenon that requires to be researched on.  confirms that developing countries have been plagued with a plethora of challenges which had scuttled economic growth. Richman (2009) added that regionally, MCSs by informal women traders at flea markets have also been done in countries like India, Ethiopia and Kenya. The Microfinance Bulletin (2006) substantiate that Asia comprises 70 percent of the world's microfinance account holders, Latin America made up another 20 percent, and the remaining 10 percent are scattered throughout the rest of the world. Earlier than now, the African continent comprised merely 4 percent of the overall population which had access to MCSs. The mainstreams of IWTs doing business at flea markets seem to prefer accumulating through MCSs for poverty eradication because of the growing realization of the need to improve standards of livelihoods of the poor. These and erstwhile studies authenticate that MCSs assist IWTs in making successful businesses by way of flea markets to unleash extreme poverty. Srinivas (2005) and the Grameen Bank (2012) corroborate by substantiating that attendance here is compulsory for the repayment of loan instalment and the collection of savings. IWTs meetings are likely to reinforce a culture of discipline, routine repayments and staff accountability. In India, a study on MCSs conducted in 2012 revealed that 18 percent of the overall population especially women have some form of microfinance account which is bound to protect its members from whichever eventualities. Richman (2009)  show that high payment rates is partly owing to the practice of weekly public meetings in the informal sector.

Micro Credit Schemes And Flea Markets In Zimbabwe
In Zimbabwe, many people, particularly informal women traders prefer to engage in various MSCs at flea markets for poverty eradication.  reveal that the phenomenal growth of informal trading is deeply rooted in the economic policies which government pursued especially after the first decade of political independence in 1980. The Zimbabwe World Report (2017) provides that Zimbabwean economy has been characterized by macroeconomic imbalances such as high budget deficits, balance of payment deficits, inflation and low economic growth. In Harare informal women traders endeavour to outsource sufficient livelihoods resources to address these imbalances. Zimstats (2013) and the Zimbabwe Poverty Report (2017)  Thus, informal Women Traders in urban centres are forced to employ a range of socio-economic 6 activities for their livelihoods which amongst them include informal trading MCSs. Max (1995) recognizes MCSs as informal and semi-informal social security engagements provide livelihoods resources which are not only financial other than labour and moral support to the immediate social security needs of family members. Previous policies and legal frameworks have focused mainly on control and exclusion of IWTs who appear to be bypassed in opportunities to satisfy their quest for poverty eradication. The National Government over the years has been putting in place several poverty eradication strategies and interventions for its poor people living below the poverty datum line (PDL). The MCSs and flea markets have been gaining impetus nationwide because such schemes are likely to benefit those living below the PDL in the informal sector. However, many studies demonstrate that these are not governed by any legislation and have now become widespread throughout the metropolitan and provincial city centres to growth points nationally. Mupambireyi Nyakudya (2012) analysed the rise of flea markets and the findings revealed that flea markets and MCSs appear to be rising like phoenix from the ashes in all the ten provinces. Flea Markets and MCSs performances nowadays are anticipated to be the major sources of income for livelihoods as well as pathways towards poverty eradication. Such places nationwide have mushroomed, predominantly in the Central Business Districts. Flea markets and MCSs appear to sprout in all the provinces such that each district appears to becoming a centre of daily activities and these give the opportunity for IWTs to borrow money to enhance their businesses. The IWT individuals would then reimburse the loan later after a guaranteed period. MCSs for women doing business at flea markets in modern society is considered not only to support their entrepreneurship activities but instead have tended to empower those who have no family assets to serve as collateral security. The IWTs are required to have steady employment record that traditional lenders require most. Many IWTs appear illiterate or semi-illiterate and their efforts have tended to be hidden. Some IWTs are likely to be incapable to complete paperwork required to obtain conventional loans provided by some of the financial institutions. Those 7 who borrow money are required to pay back the loan with interest whilst they use profits to support their families. In most cases, IWTs are bound to have expenses on items such as food, medical bills, school fees or any other uncertainties that may come about in the family.  confirm that "the grim picture in Zimbabwe demonstrates that the informal sector and flea markets are there to stay, until and unless a fundamental structural policy shift is adopted to stimulate investment and growth of the formal sector".

Conceptual Overview
The Sustainable Livelihood Approach (SLA) proffered by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency Division (SIDA, 2001) for Policy and Socio-Economic Analysis was adopted to guide this study. Krantz (2001) aver that the concept of Sustainable Livelihood (SL) is an attempt to 8 go beyond the conventional definitions and approaches to poverty eradication. Several IWTs get involved in MCSs at flea markets for poverty eradication. Chambers and Conway (1992) describe Sustainable Livelihoods as the capabilities, assets together with both material and social resources and activities used by a household for means of living. A livelihood is sustainable only after which Chambers and Conway say people are bound to cope with and recover from stress and shocks, maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets, and provide sustainable livelihood opportunities for the next generation. Only this contributes to other livelihoods at the local and global levels and in the short and long term. The SLA approach captures diverse techniques that meet individual, household, and community essential requirements. Kantz (2001) discovered that the Institute for Development Studies (IDS) and the British Department for International Development (DFID) have been putting into operation the SL concept. Hence, this approach has been preferred for this particular study because it relies on various types of 'capital' and human, social, natural, physical, and financial, as well as socioeconomic and political structures and processes at household level. At flea markets for example, IWTs plan MCSs to support their family units and thus reduce poverty. It facilitates access to capital, livelihood strategies and decision-making powers through processes, such as policies, legislation, institutions, culture, and power relations. The IWTs at flea markets take to the stage and chose to make a difference in poverty reduction as mostly are likely to be continually exposed to which ever form of challenges if there are no appropriate interventions by institutions. The most complex situation is the portfolio of assets out of which people construct their living, which includes both tangible assets and resources, and intangible assets such as claims and access (Krantz, 2001). Thus, pressure on livelihoods strategies of informal women traders at flea markets appear to increase and force them to live below the poverty datum line.

Research Methodology
A qualitative research design was adopted in this study. Units of study were selected using purposive sampling in which 20 informal women traders aged between 22 and 35 years were chosen. As well 6 key informants comprising of men undertaking business at the same flea market, who were knowledgeable on the nature of activities taking place were selected. Therefore the sample 9 comprised 26 people in total. Data collection was guided by the Livelihoods Strategies developed by SIDA, (2001)  places. As such, pseudo-names were used throughout data presentation. All the study participants interviewed agreed to partake in the study and the collected information was kept in confidence to protect the study participants.

Research Findings And Discussion
The study investigated informal women traders involved in Micro Credit Schemes at the flea market for that particular period. The analysis of the qualitative data collected was based on the Sustainable Livelihood Approach by SIDA (2001) used to guide the study at the chosen flea market. The study discovered a variety of activities done by women at the flea market, explored the survival and coping challenges experienced by IWTs under economic and environmental hardships and finally, suggested comprehensive interventions and sustainable livelihoods strategies that could be used to out-scale and throw a lifeline to the informal women traders. There were many informal women traders involved in MCSs at the flea market that ranged from groups to individuals. The IWTs depended on MCSs as their source of livelihoods. Flea Markets have become attracting centres for women who want to do business and MCSs enhance the socio-economic development, setting standards for poverty eradication and improving the living standards of IWTs. The data were analysed with regard to the following sub themes; the nature of business, formation of MCSs, types of lending schemes, profit sharing and terms of payment, member's benefits of MCSs, challenges encountered, why women engage in micro credit schemes, the way forward and finally the conclusion.
The Nature of Business The study established that generally, informal women traders have a long tradition of working together as groups based on social relationships which revolve around kinship ties, gender or village memberships. The nature of business was centred on MCSs as well as buying and selling assorted local and imported goods that ranged from traditional handicrafts, clothes, hand bags, blankets and kitchen wares to children's toys. Figure 1 shows the nature of businesses that IWTs were involved in at the time this study was conducted.
The 20 informal women traders and 6 key informants interviewed were involved in MCSs at a particular flea market near the Harare Central Business District. In any case, 10 cited that they were selling mixed products which were handmade e.g. weaving, knitting, and crocheting whilst 5 were selling imported products from other countries. The other 5 reported that they were selling traditional products such as pottery, basketry, locally made weaved floor mats. The study established that for IWTs selling local products, their business was lower than those who were selling imported goods since they were cheaper than the local products. Due to economic choices and preferences, consumers preferred cheap materials regardless of quality. The researchers' observation was that the emergence of products from other countries had pushed aside the local products. This influenced the position of informal women traders in boosting income in a meaningful way in economic and environmental hardships.

Nature of Micro Investment
Many IWTs reported that they were involved in MCSs not governed by any legislation.  confirm that "the informal sector operated outside the realm of official regulatory frameworks and workers are not registered, regulated or protected under the labour legislation and social protection". The IWTs decided to mobilize themselves and planned their MCSs of their level with 11 affordable rules and regulations they could understand better. Through pooling the resources together based on the group or socio-economic ties to form MCSs (locally known as rounds or mukando) at the flea market, women grouped themselves in a participatory and comprehensive manner. That is; IWTs formed groups which could contribute a certain agreed amount of money per week or per month. Thus informal women traders decided amongst themselves on how they wanted to use the money though bound by a constitution which stipulated written down rules and regulations.
The group rules guided the operations of their schemes on certain aspects for example registration, contributions, benefits and code of conduct. Zheke (2010)'s practical experiences of an international agency Catholic Relief Services (CRS) confirmed that when the group is too big, the group members can be sub divided into smaller units of (6 to 20) members to manage their schemes efficiently and effectively. The grouping process was reported to be very simple as it does not need any paper work.
The groups were small and structured after preliminary meetings were held to decide how many should be in a group and how much each member was to contribute per day, per week, per month or per year. Zheke affirmed that normally interested groups are invited to join the rounds or mukando based neither on their educational background nor economic status but instead based on characteristics such as trust, honesty, reliability, and punctuality, savings potential and locality and many more. Erstwhile studies show that once the group is structured, members decide on when to meet and how they want to share the generated profits basing on the group constitution. By pooling financial resources together, women improved sources of livelihoods which ultimately increased resilience to shocks such as illness, death in the family and medical bills. In the event that a member changed a place of residence from the particular flea market to another, this disqualified one from being a member as it was assumed that departing member joined the group where she was going to operate from. One IWT did not join whichever group but rather decided to do a self motivated scheme for the reasons best known to her. The woman constructed a self contribution strategy and at the end used the money to purchase items from foreign countries which she sold at the flea market. The informal woman trader had this to say; "I decided not to join the group but rather to do it alone and every day I put aside a certain amount.
On the first day, I put aside one dollar, the second two dollars, the third three dollars and so forth until the end of the month in which I raised USD460 dollars for myself. I used the money to order new items or for any other contingencies and for me this works very well" (Interview with the informal woman trader 20 June 2018).
The MCSs arrangements fostered motivation amongst women who seized the stage and decided to make a distinction in their lives. Mugabu (2012) aver that the provision of MCSs in such a measure is to reduce the burden of poverty among households in which interveners can support such schemes such as loan procedures and paperwork, combined with accounting experiences especially access to formal sources of credit.

Terms of Payment and Profit Sharing
The IWTs provide financial support to their members by providing short term loans (merry go round) to their members and if an individual requires long term help, the members were likely to consider that under a special arrangement. The money contributed by members was not kept in whichever bank account other than alternatively circulating within group members where terms of payment were stipulated. Women doing business at the flea market shared profits after every six months and sometimes give each other groceries for example salt, sugar, salt, cooking oil and soap. Whilst some members unveiled that they received less than $200 per term, the majority stated that they received above $500 more than the others which showed variances in their administration. One more member expressed that she was raising money to pay a hospital bill in the amount of (USD1 800) for her uncle who was diagnosed cancer. MCSs at this particular flea market proved successful as these proved to enhance livelihoods as income generated was reasonable, improved the living standards, and set standards in poverty eradication. The MCSs had managed to send their children to school, access health care, improved their living standards, pay monthly rentals on time, buy new stands, and one member articulated that she was able to purchase a motor vehicle. Such an experience is similar the Grameen Bank, (2012) study which confirmed that MCSs allow women to care for themselves and their families. A few women reported that they still struggled to pay back the loan in different terms.
Thus, informal women traders found themselves paying back the mortgage through other sources 13 apart from the benefits through tokens or gifts from relatives which even made it difficult to translate into loan interest. Figure 2 shows terms of payment by numbers.
Despite the provided details that some study participants failed to pay back the loan completely, others expressed that they were capable to pay back the loan although somewhat had failed to pay back on time. Those who failed to pay back on time were fined an agreed amount. Whereas some women paid the agreed amount every week, others paid back on a monthly basis and had not been charged any interest whilst others were charged interest. Some members were comfortable with the terms of payment; others were not and uttered dissatisfaction with the terms of payment. Hence quite a few members complained with regards to the amount of payment, time of payment and the amount of interest payable to the lender. The women borrowed the agreed amount used to pay back the loan with or without interest charged on them.

How Women used the Money Borrowed
The amount agreed upon was usually very small and this indicated refunds were small which could possibly make it difficult for them to pay back the loan on time. Figure 3 shows how IWTs used the amount of money borrowed from other group members; The ways the borrowed money was used ranged from; buying and selling was reported (4) food stuffs (5) and bus fare expenses (5), property investments (3), education (2) and health care (1). These findings show that the highest was food staffs whereas the lowest was medical bills. Berhane of Action Aid (2009) concur indicating that more resources in the hands of women mean better health and education for the whole family, as women are likely to spend the money on schools and medicines for their children.

Reasons why Women Engaged in Micro Credit Schemes
Zimbabwe Poverty Report (2017: 54) confirm that in urban areas, poverty was highest among households that depended mostly on own business. Thus, informal women traders decided to provide capital to the marginalized women who were unable to access loans. Such schemes facilitated the IWTs to gain access and control of livelihoods resources to eradicate poverty where their opportunities proved very limited otherwise. With the loans they receive from microfinance groups, beneficiaries reported that they were able to invest in such businesses and secure distribution channels and start making more money on a consistent basis for survival and copings. Purohit, (2012) corroborate stating that informal women traders engage in MCSs for empowerment and as resolute pathways to eradicate poverty. Figure 4 shows the selected reasons why informal women traders engaged in micro credit schemes of that nature.
This study revealed that IWTs engaged in MCSs for various. Amongst them sharing risks was reported (10), to plan for the future (2), economic reasons (3), pulling resources together (3) and for sharing experiences (2). The mainstream IWTs conveyed that the main reasons why vast majority joined MCSs was to provide them with a base from which they could protect themselves against variety of contingencies by sharing risks and pooling resources together for poverty eradication.
Since forever, informal women traders did not qualify for traditional loans provided by various Commercial Banks and that's why vast majority decided to join the MCSs as sources of livelihoods and for poverty eradication. Most of the time, poor women have no collateral security and funds to pay back the loans. Thus many of the microenterprise owners were capable to begin enduring the stretching and thickening Poverty Datum Line (PDL). As IWTs did not have a protected way to save the money, with the MCSs fortunately, IWTs proved capable to keep hard cash circulating around other members in order to purchase certain items and sell them later.
Thus IWTs constantly showed interest in starting small scale businesses but indeed, this was difficult because of the country's current socio economic turn down with a geographical picture of poverty in Harare Province pegged at 31.1 percent (ZPR, 2017). Hurtley et al (1990) corroborated emphasizing that it is popular these days to promote MCSs or to give grants which are likely to be more sustainable in the long run. The circumstances now permit an informal women trader to do so using their own initiatives and this helps them not only to realize their potential but instead to gain access and control over scarce resources as a pathway towards poverty eradication. Numerous IWTs realize that it pays to do business at flea markets and venture in MCSs which can protect them from migrating to neighbouring countries to do business in dangerous zones. SIDA's Sustainable Livelihoods Approach advocates for policies, legislation whereas doing such business ventures in 15 foreign countries where there is no framework in place to legally protect the IWTs would results in exposing them to social risky factors such as xenophobic attacks, HIV and AIDS, STIs among others. This is why SIDA (2001) indicates that there is need to access capital, livelihood strategies, and decision-making power through processes, such as policies, legislation. The involvement of women in MCSs leads to overall economic growth in drained countries as they acquire a steadier income which enables them to buy more products to sell and generate money for themselves for their livelihoods to eradicate poverty. Kofi Annan (2012) substantiate by contesting that MCSs is a wise investment in which women who are regarded as a minority group are able to venture into such initiatives even if they encounter social and economic challenges more than their female or male counterparts who are not part of the scheme.

Challenges Faced by Women in Poverty Eradication
The study found out that IWTs encountered numerous adversaries at the flea market.  study reveals that those deposited involuntarily in the informal sector due to the Economic Structural Adjustment (ESAP) in the early 90 s are facing a raft of challenges among them, increased competition, depressed consumer demand and lack of proper working infrastructure Fig. 5 shows selected challenges experienced by IWTs for poverty eradication.
Women expressed that they faced challenges with regards to unpredictable weather patterns, harsh economic environment, lack of official legal binding scheme, lack of resources for them to enhance collaboration and networking with other women's groups. All conveyed that they encountered challenges in paying back the loan. Some women communicated that in the first place, when they borrowed money from the group, they did not fully understand the permissible terms associated with the loans. Women received loans with good terms but did not understand the requirements because vast majority had taken the loan without complete information on how they were to repay back the loan.
Environmental conditions were some of the challenges encountered by women doing business at flea market. For example, women communicated that some of the items they sold at the flea market were seasonal such that those selling winter and summer clothes faced challenges due to change of 16 weather from winter to summer and vise vesa which left them with abundant stock after each season.
This though affected their business and ability to pay back the loan. There were no proper structures to secure their items during rainy season. A few women stated they were sometimes forced to close their stalls as they certainly did not have proper roof or building structures over their heads during either hot or rainy season and for them their business was a loss.
The other challenge encountered by IWTs included personal problems such as paying school fees, hospital bills and rent which had been some of the good excuse for them not being able to pay back the loan within a stipulated period. Thus personal problems such as sickness and death in the family had been cited as the major cause for not opening the business for some time. A few members disclosed that they closed their businesses for days, weeks or even months to recover from grief and bereavement after losing their dear ones. In those days, they could not sell or even join the scheme to gain profit in a meaningful way.
The study revealed that being in deficient of proper management expertise and misuse of funds were some of the challenges experienced by a few members who expressed that this actually affected their business. Some women were said to misuse the money for luxury items instead of generating profits for the business as well as pay back the loan on time. One woman always mentioned "personal" items which some of the group members regarded as misuse of funds. When the researchers probed further for clarification on this response the study participant was undecided to clarify what she meant by the word "personal". There was lack of proper mechanisms to check-up on the proper use of funds amongst women micro-credit operators.
There was lack of subsidies, incentives and policy guidelines on MCSs for IWTs doing business at flea market towards poverty eradication which demonstrated that there were a few of the de-motivating factors. Several IWTs stated that when they tried to import goods for sale, occasionally these were confiscated at the border post or they faced hassles at the border post. Some IWTs additionally expressed that sometimes officials besieged a number of their goods demanding immigration declaration forms for some imported wares. IWTs uttered that in as much as they wanted to work according to the law and regulations but sometimes they were taken uninformed and as a result were forced to hide and not declare some of the goods. According to them, time and again, officials at border posts cashed on bribes from vendors who failed to prove that their wares had been officially declared at the country's designated entry points.
When IWTs declare goods at the border, time and again it was not written anywhere that one should have kept safe declaration forms for future reference. Murwira (2012)  The study established that women involved in MCSs at flea markets encounter challenges in administering funds as well as paying back loans. The World Summit for Social Development held in Copenhagen in March 1995 called on Governments to review national, legal regulatory and institutional frameworks that restrict the access of poor women, especially. Kantz (2001) argues that depending on the agency, the approach could be used largely as an analytical framework (or tool) for programme planning and assessment or as a programme in itself. There is need to craft and implement policies and legal frameworks that introduce the provision of incentives to informal women traders at flea markets for them to enhance their capacities to do business as well as protect the interests of women doing business at flea markets for poverty eradication.
International Non Governmental Organizations like CARE as well as UNDP and DFID support household livelihood security mainly at community level. All these agencies emphasize the same sustainable livelihoods approach in enabling policy environments, macro-economic reforms, and legislation which are all equally important for effective poverty reduction. In that regard, there is great need for a multi-stakeholder approach through these various agencies as some of the agencies embrace regional financial institutions and other donor agencies involved in the eradication of poverty, such as IFAD, ILO, World Bank, UNDP and UNICEF. The SLA has to be done together with IWTs doing business at flea markets to promote vibrant micro credit schemes that help in the process to eradicate poverty.
The thrust of a multi-stakeholder approach in the same way initiate comprehensive micro-credit management training programmes that are in line with the aspirations of the World Summit for Social Development of March 1995. The SL Approach could produce a more holistic view on what resources, or combination of resources, are important to the poor, including not only physical and natural resources, but also their social and human capital (Kantz 2001). This could perhaps embrace massive trainings of IWTs in business management; capacity building workshops, education on HIV and AIDS, gender issues and leadership workshops all required to enhancing the livelihoods of women involved in MCSs at flea markets as pathways towards poverty eradication. Hence, if these interventions and sustainable strategies for this meticulous group are made in line with the SIDA SLA, this could effectively empower IWTs for poverty eradication. Kantz (2001) corroborates that the SLA has its 20 strength in that " it facilitates an understanding of the underlying causes of poverty by focusing on the variety of factors, at different levels, that directly or indirectly determine or constrain poor people's access to resources/assets of different kinds, and thus their livelihoods". Kantz (2001) reminds that the SLA has its weaknesses in that the way resources and other livelihood opportunities are distributed locally is often influenced by informal structures of social dominance and power within the communities themselves; the issues which the UNDP and CARE seem not to address. These issues affect the livelihoods of informal women traders doing business at flea markets in the inner cycles of the HCBD in Zimbabwe.

Conclusion
This study investigated the livelihoods strategies of the informal women traders doing business as a strategy to eradicate poverty in Zimbabwe. The study was carried out at one of the flea markets in the Harare Province. The study was informed by the Livelihood Framework proffered by SIDA, (2001) specifically for poverty eradication. The specific objectives of the study were designed; to discover micro credit schemes by IWTs doing business at flea markets, to explore the impact of MCSs as pathways towards poverty eradication and the challenges experienced by women doing business at flea markets; to determine various survivals and sustainable coping strategies that could be used by informal women traders under harsh socio-economic environment and finally, to determine possible interventions and sustainable strategies that could be used to out-scale and throw a lifeline to the IWTs. Data was gathered through interviews, focus group discussions and observations. The study revealed that IWTs specialise in MCSs as their sources of livelihoods, flea markets have become attracting center for women who want to do business in the HCBD. The MCSs enhance socio-economic development, set standards in poverty eradication and improves the standards of IWTs. Many encountered numerous challenges resulting in finding it difficult to repay back the loans. The study concluded that if financing institutions and Non Governmental Organizations could give them assistance through small bank loans; this would help them to gain access and control of their livelihoods resources in a meaningful manner. The study proposed a few livelihoods strategies that could be in the form of Macro Micro Credit Schemes (MCSs) financed by big institutions such as Global 21 Fund for Women and International Monitory Fund. The instruments free IWTs from poverty as well as increasing their participation in the economic and political processes of society in Zimbabwe.

Declarations
The work was conducted under the Department of Social Work of the University of Zimbabwe by Stella Chipo Takaza and Chipo Chitereka. We understand the methods used in this article and we declare that the principal work contained in this article is original work and we are the responsible persons. This Journal gets the sole and exclusive right to publish the work for the full length of the copyright period and permissions for reproduced work. The article has not been previously published and is not under consideration elsewhere.