Sen Mahofa
From George Maponga in Masvingo
Government has distributed nearly 25 tonnes of grain produced under the winter maize project in the Lowveld to ease food shortages at children’s homes and orphanages across the drought-stricken Masvingo Province.
More than 30 orphanages, children and old people’s homes in the province recently took delivery of the maize that was part of the nearly 1 300 tonnes produced by Lowveld sugar-producer Tongaat Hulett under the winter maize initiative.
Tongaat last year revived the winter maize project in the Lowveld to help in the fight against crippling food shortages in the wake of a devastating nationwide drought.
President Mugabe ordered that the winter maize be distributed to ease hunger in the parts of the province.
Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Senator Shuvai Mahofa yesterday said the winter maize was distributed to vulnerable groups in the province through the Department of Social Welfare.
She said the grain was being kept at the Masvingo GMB depot from where it was moved to recipients.
“We distributed part of the maize mobilised under the winter maize initiative to various institutions that look after vulnerable groups such as orphans, the physically challenged and the aged across the province where people were facing severe food shortages,’’ said Senator Mahofa.
“The maize was distributed through the Department of Social Welfare and I am happy that almost all the institutions in the province that look after vulnerable people received some allocations.’’
Among the institutions that received the winter maize are Copota School of the Blind and Works, Alpha Cottages, Mucheke Old People’s Home, Chingele Children’s Home and Mutikizizi Old People’s Home.
Senator Mahofa hailed the winter maize initiative for helping the province to fight hunger that is threatening more than 700 000 people following poor harvests in the last farming season.
Besides vulnerable groups, each of the 26 House of Assembly constituencies in Masvingo got 44 tonnes out of the 1 300 tonnes.
The maize was handed over to legislators for the respective constituencies for distribution to their people.
Tongaat last year put 330 hectares under winter maize at its cane fields at Triangle Estates following an appeal to help the province mitigate drought induced food shortages by the Masvingo political leadership led by Zanu-PF secretary for Production in the Politburo Cde Josaya Hungwe.