Digital Launch 2026
Welcome to the Future of Mutual Aid
ZIVA CIC UK is a Community Interest Company operating as a non-profit Mutual Aid Society. Our mission is to eliminate "funeral poverty" and provide social support through the principle of "More Hands, Less Weight".
We are not an insurance company - we are a voluntary association where members support each other through benevolent grants, rooted in the spirit of Ubuntu.
Our Legal Foundation
Community Interest Company
Registered CIC with Companies House, ensuring legal protection and transparency for all members
Asset Lock Protection
All funds legally dedicated to community benefit - never distributed as private profit to directors
GDPR Compliant
Registered data controller with ICO, using industry-leading secure platforms
The Power of Community
Ubuntu
"I am because we are. My contribution today is my family's security tomorrow."
Membership
Who Can Join ZIVA?
01
County-Based Membership
New members must reside within the specific county of the branch they are joining (e.g., ZIVA Leicestershire)
02
Alumni Status
Members who joined before 31st December 2025 can remain in their original branch even if they move to a different UK county
03
Individual Registration
Any employed family member, regardless of age or living arrangement, must register for their own independent membership
Understanding Dependants
Important Clarification
The "Dependants" field is strictly for non-working children only. This is a common question we receive.
Your working adult children cannot be listed as dependants - they must register for their own independent membership, even if they live at the same address.
You can register your spouse under your account using the "Add Member" field during registration.
Key Rule
Employed = Independent Membership Required
The £7 Annual Software Levy
Digital Infrastructure
Covers Join It portal, Stripe payment processing, and website maintenance costs
Annual Payment
Mandatory yearly fee that we anticipate will decrease as membership grows
Full Transparency
Automated digital receipt sent immediately after successful payment
Grant Tiers
Silver vs Gold Status
🥈 Silver Status
Entry-level for new members
- £2 collection per member requested
- Immediate eligibility upon registration
- Foundation for building Gold status
🥇 Gold Status
Earned after contributing to 2 funerals
- £10 collection per member
- Significantly higher grant potential
- Badge of honor showing community commitment
Maintaining Your Gold Status
Earn Gold
Successfully contribute to two funeral collections
Stay Active
Respond promptly to donation calls
Avoid Downgrade
Missing 2 consecutive payments = automatic Silver downgrade
Re-earn If Needed
Contribute to 2 more funerals to regain Gold
Grant Amount Reality Check
Important Understanding
Grant amounts are not guaranteed because donations are voluntary. The final amount depends on how many members contribute to that specific call.
100%
Voluntary
All contributions are voluntary acts of mutual aid
Net
After Fees
Grant totals are net of Stripe processing fees
10%
Target
We aim for 10% of Zimbabweans in each UK city
The Registration Process
Complete Online Form
Visit zivaglobal.co.uk and fill in your details including county, dependants, and special instructions
Pay £7 Software Levy
Secure payment via Stripe - your card details are never visible to ZIVA administrators
Admin Verification
Administrators manually verify and allocate your membership number
Portal Access
Receive login credentials for your self-service member portal
Special Instructions Field
What You Can Include
- Next of Kin contact details
- Totems (Mitupo/Iziduko)
- Spiritual or cultural requests
- Wishes for grant usage
Important Limitations
This is NOT a legally binding will. Admins will respect these instructions to the best of their ability, but we strongly urge members to obtain a formal UK Will for legal protection.
Avoid entering highly sensitive passwords or banking secrets in free-text fields.
Welfare
Supporting Our Community
Senior Welfare Program
Developing support for members over 70, focusing on social care, medication delivery, and combating isolation in the Diaspora
Financial Hardship Support
Members facing genuine difficulties or retirees can contact Administrators privately to discuss flexible support options
Spiritual Support
Community coordinates spiritual support through church leaders within membership - a voluntary social benefit
Community Rules & Conduct
WhatsApp Group Management
Groups may be closed during high-traffic periods like onboarding to prevent important official links from being buried. You can always message an Admin directly.
Commercial Activity
Commercial advertising on the main WhatsApp group is prohibited to keep focus on mutual aid. We're exploring a Member Business Directory on the website.
Removal Policy
Administrators reserve the right to remove members who engage in illegal activity, share divisive/offensive content, or repeatedly violate community values.
Governance & Leadership
Board of Directors
ZIVA is led by a Board of Directors who serve on a purely voluntary basis. No director or administrator receives a salary or financial dividend from member contributions.
The leadership is governed by a formal Constitution and Articles of Association registered with Companies House.
Collective Leadership Model
Decisions regarding grant distributions and community rules are made collectively to ensure no single individual has total control over funds.
This prevents "founder syndrome" and ensures the organization outlives its original creators.
Transparency
Who Owns ZIVA?
The Community
As a CIC, ZIVA is legally owned by the community it serves. The Directors are stewards of the vision, but the Asset Lock ensures the value stays with the members forever.
100% Volunteer-Run
No salaries, no dividends, no private profit
Asset Lock Forever
Funds can never be extracted for personal gain
Community Authority
Members have ultimate say through "One Member, One Vote" principle
Data Privacy & Security
ICO Registered
ZIVA is a registered data controller with the Information Commissioner's Office
Industry-Leading Platforms
Join It and Stripe are GDPR-compliant with bank-level encryption
Admin-Blind Payments
Administrators never see your card or banking details
Confidential Records
Next of Kin and Special Instructions only accessible to authorized Admins
The City-Wide Expansion Model
Leicester
Founding branch
Birmingham
Independent hub
London
Independent hub
Leeds
Independent hub
Your City
Future hub
Each city operates as an independent hub under the ZIVA CIC digital "umbrella". This ensures collections remain manageable and members support people within their geographical proximity.
The 10% Strategy
10%
Membership Target
Our goal: capture 10% of Zimbabwean population in every major UK city
100%
Critical Mass
This "Critical Mass" makes the £10 Gold contribution powerful without straining individuals
When we reach this target, a Gold member's £10 contribution multiplied across thousands of members creates substantial support grants - transforming the burden of funeral poverty into manageable community care.
Bereavement
When a Member Passes Away
1
Verified Death Announcement
Official announcement made to the group after verification
2
Donation Link Generated
Specific secure Stripe link created for that cause
3
Collection Window Opens
Members have set timeframe to contribute £2 (Silver) or £10 (Gold)
4
Grant Transfer
Net amount transferred directly to designated Next of Kin
5
Transparency Report
Final report shared confirming total amount for transparency
Understanding the Grant
What ZIVA Provides
ZIVA provides a cash grant that the family can use toward:
- Body repatriation to Zimbabwe
- Local UK burial costs
- Funeral service expenses
- Any other bereavement-related costs
What ZIVA Doesn't Provide
We do not provide the physical repatriation service ourselves. However, the grant significantly reduces the financial burden of arranging these services.
The grant does not cover the full cost of a funeral - it is benevolent assistance, not full-coverage insurance.
Status Tracking & Compliance
100%
Automatic Tracking
Join It system automatically tracks your payment history - no manual records needed
2
Contributions to Gold
System flags your account for Admin upgrade once you've contributed to 2 funerals
2
Missed = Downgrade
Missing 2 consecutive payments triggers automatic Silver downgrade
Pro Tip: Set up Auto-Pay via Stripe to avoid accidental lapses in status. Keep notifications on if you travel to avoid missing status-critical calls.
Appeals & Extenuating Circumstances
Accidental Missed Payment?
If you miss a payment by accident, the system still tracks it. Two misses = automatic downgrade to Silver.
Can I Appeal?
Yes. If there were extenuating circumstances (hospitalization, sudden financial shock), contact an Admin privately to discuss your case.
Prevention is Best
We encourage Auto-Pay setup to prevent these situations. Your Gold status is valuable - protect it proactively.
Digital Tools
Your Self-Service Portal
24/7 Access
Manage your profile anytime from any device
Update Details
Change address, email, or add/remove dependents without contacting Admin
Mobile Optimized
Save to home screen for app-like experience
Email Security Critical
⚠️ Your Email is Your ID
Your email address is your primary identifier in our system. If you lose access to your email, you must contact a ZIVA administrator immediately.
We need to manually link your profile to a new email address to ensure you don't miss donation calls. Keep your email secure and accessible.
All official communications, donation links, and receipts are sent to your registered email. Check it regularly.
Why We Transitioned to CIC
Original WhatsApp Model
Based on manual trust, worked well for small groups
Growth Challenge
Became unsustainable past 700 members
Professional Structure
CIC provides legal protection, transparency, automated tracking
Digital Future
Scalable platform ready for thousands of members
Financial Transparency
Pre-2026 Funds
All funds raised before the digital launch were dedicated to specific bereavement cases they were collected for.
The £7 software levy collected in late 2025/early 2026 was specifically used to fund CIC registration and purchase of Join It and Stripe infrastructure.
Why Stripe?
To ensure total transparency and protect Admins from accusations of mismanagement, all payments must go through the Stripe gateway.
This provides an automated audit trail that the CIC requires for legal compliance. Admins never see your card details - Stripe uses bank-level security.
Cultural Heritage
Honoring Zimbabwean Traditions
Totems
List your Mitupo/Iziduko in Special Instructions
Spiritual Requests
Document cultural and spiritual wishes
Ubuntu Values
Founded on Zimbabwean Diaspora cultural values
Chaplaincy
Community coordinates spiritual support through church leaders
Respect
Admins honor your wishes to the best of their ability
Dispute Resolution & Complaints
01
File Written Complaint
Send formal complaint to contact@zivaglobal.co.uk with full details
02
Board Review
Board of Directors required to review within set timeframe per Articles of Association
03
Response & Resolution
Formal written response provided with resolution or explanation
04
Member Vote Option
High-level constitutional changes may be put to member vote - "One Member, One Vote"
Future Employment Opportunities
Current Status
All roles are currently voluntary. No one receives a salary from member contributions.
This ensures 100% of your donations go directly to supporting bereaved families.
Future Vision
As we grow and secure external grant funding, we aim to create professional roles to support the community.
These positions will be advertised transparently to the membership first, giving our community first opportunity.
Volunteer Opportunities
Accounting
Help maintain financial transparency and reporting
IT Support
Assist with technical infrastructure and member support
Social Work
Support welfare programs and member wellbeing
Community Organizing
Help expand ZIVA to new cities and coordinate events
We are always looking for dedicated members with skills to contribute. Express your interest at contact@zivaglobal.co.uk
Member Charter
Your Rights as a Member
Access to Grants
Community-funded bereavement grants for you and registered dependants according to your status
Transparency
See how the £7 levy is utilized and receive digital receipts for every payment
Data Privacy
Personal data protected under GDPR and stored securely
Self-Service
24/7 portal access to update personal details or special instructions
Your Duties to the Community
Consistency
Respond to donation calls promptly to ensure families receive grants without delay
Honesty
Provide accurate information regarding residency and dependants
Accountability
Understand that missing two consecutive payments results in automatic Silver downgrade
Levy Contribution
Pay the £7 annual software levy to keep our digital infrastructure running
Ubuntu Spirit
Treat all members and administrators with respect, avoiding divisive or offensive language
Our Shared Legacy
Integrity
ZIVA is a non-profit CIC. We support the Asset Lock which ensures funds are used only for the community's benefit.
Legacy
We honor the Alumni and founders who built this platform and commit to passing this institution down to future generations.
The Gold Standard
Gold Status is a badge of honor signifying you've stood by at least two families in their time of need. By maintaining Gold Status, you ensure your own family is eligible for the highest level of community support.
More Hands, Less Weight
Together
"I am because we are. My contribution today is my family's security tomorrow."
1
Community
United in purpose
∞
Impact
Generational legacy
100%
Commitment
To each other
Contact: contact@zivaglobal.co.uk | Website: www.zivaglobal.co.uk