Stephen Chadenga
CHIRUMHANZU: The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) in Midlands has donated fencing material worth USD7 700 to a local garden cooperative whose members would cut down trees in search of poles that would be used as makeshift equipment to secure their project.
The Chirumhanzu rural garden cooperative in Ward 11 received treated poles and fence as part of the donation.
EMA Midlands Publicity and Education Officer Oswald Ndlovu told CommuTalk that the donation was towards enhancing livelihoods and also fighting land degradation.
“The donation is part of efforts by EMA to avoid further environmental degradation through deforestation. Besides guarding against tree cutting, we are also concerned about safeguarding the villagers’ projects as well as enhancing livelihoods through environmental conservation,” Ndlovu said.
The garden project caters for 70 families among them orphans whose parents died from the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Patricia Moyo, a project member said they benefitted a lot from the project by selling vegetables, tomatoes, carrots and onions to establish markets in Mvuma, Gweru and Masvingo which help them raise money for essentials as school fees.
“Besides being able to feed and clothe our families, we have also managed to raise fees to send our children to school,” she said.
Above and beyond causing deforestation, random and unnecessary tree cutting has also been identified as a major cause to global warming.
Studies often highlight that when trees are cut down, burnt or allowed to rot, their stored carbon is released into the air as carbon monoxide and ultimately contributes to global warming.