CommuTalk Reporter
GWERU – A total of 8 156 women are set to benefit from the 4-H Zimbabwe enhancing livelihoods through water-women-food nexus interventions, which will run for 15 months in Chiwundura Constituency.
Speaking during the launch of the project at Vungu Rural District Council, Chiwundura Member of Parliament Sleiman Kwidini applauded 4-H Zimbabwe for coming up with a project that is in line with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s vision of attaining an upper middle-income economy by 2030.
The 4-H Zimbabwe project aims at drilling eight solar-powered boreholes in Chiwundura Cosntituency, which will provide water to nutrition gardens as well as provide clean water for villagers.
Kwidini, who is also Health and Child Care deputy minister said the provision of clean water will result in improved livelihoods of the people as the nutrition gardens will be a hive of agricultural activity.
“Provision of water will result in food security as the nutrition gardens will provide various agricultural produce thereby improving nutrition status of the people,” he said.
Kwidini said Chiwundura Constituency had been left behind but through development partners such as 4-H Zimbabwe people’s livelihoods would improve. Apart from improving nutrition through food, villagers will also be able to make income through selling of produce.
“We are happy with this development and even chiefs and government departments are here to support because this is in line with the President’s mantra of not living anyone behind in development,” he said.
4-H Zimbabwe executive director John Muchenje said a total of 8 156 women are going to benefit through climate change education.
He said a further 480 women will benefit through the established eight solar powered nutrition gardens also adding that all Agritex officers in the constituency will get smart tablets for e-technology aimed at addressing climate change.
“We have realised that the country has been affected by EL-Nino induced dry spells where we have received less rainfall and most of the crops have dried up. The main impact of climate change is food insecurity affecting women mostly and that is why women are our main target because they are more vulnerable.
“We want to build climate change resilience through setting up of nutrition gardens which are going to be rolled out in the Constituency. We also want to address issues of climate change education where we are promoting conservative farming initiatives to rural farmers working in partnership with Agritex officers,” he said.
The last part of the project aims to plant trees in collaboration with the Forestry Commission so as to address deforestation in the area.
Chiwundura becomes the second rural constituency to benefit under the project after Hurungwe where they set up the same number of nutrition gardens.
