4-H Zimbabwe partners government in drought mitigation
Story by Tafara Chikumira
THE Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative is bearing fruit with a local non-governmental organisation coming on board to assist in mitigating the effects of the El Nino-induced drought.
Only last week, President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared the El Nino-induced drought a state of disaster, with close to three million people in need of food aid, in a move that has seen development partners springing to action to avert a catastrophe.
4-H Zimbabwe is one of the organisations that have taken heed of the government’s call for assistance, with nutritional gardens that will have uninterrupted water supply being established in Chiwundura area of Midlands province.
4-H Zimbabwe chairperson, Mrs Wendy Madzura said, “We are here to help with the little we can under the circumstances. We are drilling eight boreholes around the constituency and we will be establishing nutritional gardens to ensure the community is well taken care of. We have also ensured that the Agritex officers have been equipped with iPads so that they can monitor and relay information timely while they research the best agronomy practices.”
The community is equally excited about the opportunities presented by the latest development.
“We are very happy about the empowerment projects being presented to us. In times of drought like this, it is critical for us to have mitigatory measures that will help us fight hunger. We are ready to do something that will empower us,” said one of the community members.
Agritex officer, Mr Leonard Munamati said, “We are glad that our team has been equipped with the latest technological tools. This is great for us as they really need this equipment for their day-to-day duties. It’s exciting to have partners that can help us achieve our goals.”
The government is also aware of the significance of working with development partners to transform livelihoods in rural communities.
The Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Honourable Slayman Kwidini said, “It’s a great honor to have partners who come on board in times of need. As the legislator for Chiwundura constituency, I am very grateful for what the organisation is doing to uplift the lives of the people from my constituency. We are happy to have such friends in times of need.”
The government is anticipating a harvest of close to 900 thousand tonnes of grain this season, leaving a deficit of around 700 thousand tonnes.
It has since been established that the country needs at least two billion United States dollars for drought mitigation efforts.
