Story by Mercy Bofu-Matinha
Government and its development partners have stepped up efforts to ensure vulnerable communities have access to water and food in the face of the El Nino-induced drought.
As the country battles the El Nino-induced drought, access to food and clean water remains a priority after 1000 people with disability from Bikita received food aid through a government partnership with Tzu-Chi Foundation.
The organisation is also rehabilitating boreholes in the area.
“We are happy to receive rice today from the Tzu-Chi organisation and it brings us so much hope that the government is remembering vulnerable communities given that we recently received our three-month allocation of grain from government through social welfare,” said a beneficiary.
Another said, “We have seen many of our bush pump boreholes being rehabilitated and it was such a relief, we hope they will continue doing that such that we access clean water for domestic use and our livestock.”
Area legislator Honourable Daniel Makusha and the provincial leadership applauded the government for the food aid programme.
“We want to thank President Mnangagwa and his administration for bringing us such organisations which are complementing already existing programmes by the government to ensure food security and clean water. So far more than 70 boreholes have been rehabilitated in our area and they have brought accessories to rehabilitate more boreholes.”
ZANU PF Masvingo provincial vice chairman Cde Trust Mugabe said, “As a party, it brings us so much hope that the ZANU PF-led government is concerned about people’s welfare and as you can see people here are happy to receive food items.”
Tzu-Chi Foundation is even more eager to assist vulnerable communities.
The foundation’s commissioner, Ms Molia Tandu said, “This is not our first time in Bikita and as a charity organisation, we are concerned about assisting people with disabilities, orphans and the old age. Again we are rehabilitating boreholes such that people have access to clean water.”
Government is implementing various programmes to ensure food security including the food distribution programme, winter wheat project, irrigation development and the livestock fodder programme.
