Morris Mpala, MoB capital Ltd
NOTHING screams hope like a good rainy season.
Nothing smells production like the smell of summer rains. There is something about the rain that rejuvenates every economic being in the community. It awakens the financial fibre within. It awakens the production DNA in all beings not necessarily humans.
Production is the economy. The economy is agriculture. Agriculture is the natural rain and lots of it is what agriculture needs. So by induction rain is the epitome of agricultural economy and economy in general. Rains are the economy and the economy is the rain. There is also a saying that goes when it rains we gain and we definitely gain abundantly.
‘Water is life’ is an old adage but pregnant with meaning and it still does up to today and this season is looking and feeling good. I have never felt this good in a long time in anticipation of a great harvest ahead.
When it rains businesses anticipate a good year. It brings out that Great Spirit.
Agriculture
It is bringing joy to the farmers as the water table is on the rise. The much talked about command agriculture is now benefiting from free water that is cost effective and you could expect a great harvest all things being equal. Livestock benefits from improved pastures and cost free water in general. Tourism in Hwange has benefited immensely since the rains started and during this period poaching is on the low side. Farmers only need to implement strategies to enhance their harvest.
Water harnessing
Increase dam construction, reservoirs, man-made lakes or gutter water collection. Avoiding siltation activities as well as removing silt from water collecting bodies. Let’s avoid stream bank cultivation and mining. Let’s do away with polluting water bodies. We must have zero tolerance to polluting water sources for whatever reason under the sun to preserve our underground water.
Water conservation
We need to recycle water and adopt use of drip irrigation. Shun hose pipes on car washes and other high consumer water activities. Settling our bills so that water-related repairs can be done timely. Monitoring daily use, daily limits, report burst pipes, search for underground leaks and less shower antics. Use of borehole water in construction, toilet and other non essential water requirement activities.
Increase advocacy for correct use of water all year round. Prevent evaporation by covering water bodies and clean up water sources by freeing them of weeds and litter.
Bulawayo community
We sing hallelujah as our dams are filling up. The buildings are being cleaned up. The local government can now identify which areas need excellent drainage systems. It also gives an opportunity to see which roads are weak and need reconstruction or resurfacing to the benefit of the users. This gives Bulawayo City Council platform to show what they are known for — excellent planning and construction prowess across Zimbabwe.
The health department is also given an opportunity to maintain minimal standards to safeguard health scares. To the community it is ideal now to identify areas that need bridges, dams re-enforcing and floods prevention methods are being developed because of these rains. With these rains and winds comes rebuilding to all old and unsafe structures.
How positive is that! By and large during rainy seasons crime rate turns southwards.
At times when there is rain induced disasters it brings communities together for a better cause and that is recommended.
Air pollution is reduced tremendously and that increases the health of our workers thus an increase in man hours.
Data/information dissemination
With the rains we always get information on the weather which is less likely during other seasons of the year. We tend to receive vital information on other places, on road use and even farming information is mostly disseminated during rainy seasons. There is also information on general survival skills.
The accuracy of most weather-related information during the rainy season is crucial to the extent of even knowing the status of your local dams. This reduces uncertainty and aids planning, which is critical to the communities.
It also challenges the weather department to acquire skills and machinery to accurately report on weather phenomena, which is not done, say during winter season. Rains definitely bring about investments into so many areas in the community.
With the rains come so many opportunities to prove ourselves in all our daily lives. We celebrate the rains as a very positive thing. We are so negative that we can’t even celebrate these rains which is unfortunate. Am choosing to see opportunities in this season, the idea is for us to take up these rain presented opportunities and make hay while it shines.
On a lighter but crucial note business is happy as transportation of goods and movement of people on the road experiences less disruptions due to minimal roadblocks and this increases efficiency and effectiveness of our businesses.
Emotionally rains are just therapeutic and that increases productivity as most employees tend to be at work most of the time. The luscious greenery has that calming effect and the maximum tranquility it ushers in is just conducive environment for the community and its productive actors.
From a household perspective it also increases food security as when it rains there is so much food supplements at lower to zero costs. That is great saving from the household and these funds can be used when there is a rainy day.
These are good times, beautiful days and surely something to be grateful and be happy about for months. I am just loving and enjoying the rains and what they stand for and what they bring. Let the good rains continue. If you haven’t had a positive thing this year this is one of them, hold onto it.
IF YOU LIVE IN BYO PLEASE CONSERVE WATER
IF YOU LIVE IN ZIMBABWE PLEASE USE ELECTRICITY SPARINGLY: SOS (SWITCH OFF SWITCHES)
IF YOU LIVE ON PLANET EARTH PLEASE PRESERVE THE ENVIRONMENT
Morris Mpala is the managing director of MoB Capital Limited, a Bulawayo headquartered micro-finance institution with footprint across the country.