CommuTalk Reporter
CHIRUMHANZU district in the Midlands province is generally a dry areawith climate change further worsening the agricultural prospects of the majority rural folk.
The coming in of a local non-governmental organisation, Hand in
Hand Zimbabwe has however seen the launching of sustainable self-help projects, which economically empower the rural folk.
With support from the organisation, as enterprising women group Kuwadzana has embarked on the manufacturing of mixed grains porridge, which they package and supply to shops at a cost of US$1.
For the group’s innovative efforts Hand in Hand recently awarded them US$ 1 500 prize money which they used to buy a grinding mill,
scale, packaging material, sealers and grain.
“We make mixed porridge from various grains including maize, rapoko and groundnuts among others,” group member Linda Moyo said.
“When we started, we used to pay for the grinding of these grains but thanks to the intervention of Hand in Hand as we managed to purchase our own grinding mill, scale, sealers, packaging materials and grain to enhance our project.”
According to Moyo the women package the mixed porridge and have
already found a market around Chirumanzu and as far as Masvingo
supplying shops with their products.
She said that the money realised from the project has seen the women transforming their economic lives at a time climate change has caused low yields.
“We can pay school fees for our children. We can provide food to our
families from the income generating project,” she added.
Kuwadzana was honoured with the best prize as the best performing
entrepreneurs under the Hand in Hand market linkages project.
Another group of women calling themselves Usimbetarega undertakes a viable gardening project that see them cultivating vegetables and tomatoes with some of the produce being sold at nearby Hama High boarding school.
The resourceful women also got a boost from Hand in Hand when they were rewarded with a solar powered submersible pump.
“Water has always been our biggest nightmare in this project but now that we have a submersible pump we can always irrigate our crops and realise high yields,” said Margaret Chuma.
Other women entrepreneurs from the area such as poultry project group Pachedu got $700 used to purchase bags of cement, mesh wire, chicken feed, roofing material and 150 broilers while Kubudirira got $500 used to buy 125 chicks and water troughs.
Chirumanzu Rural District Council, ward 8 councillor Tirivanhu Mhazo said instead of giving “short-term” donor handouts Hand in Hand had not only given capital but imparted business skills to villagers that are sustainable.
“Some NGOs just come and give people food and disappear,” he said.
“But instead of giving fish Hand in Hand gives people the fishing rod
and teaches them how to fish.”
Hand in Hand chief executive Felix Tete said besides economically empowering women and youths his organisation included programmes aimed at ending gender-based violence in communities.
“We are here to give a hand in income generating projects,” said Tete.
“People can utilise opportunities in their communities and do not necessarily need to go out of the country to earn a living,” he added.
