Livestock scheme to assist refugees returning from South Africa
Source: The Zimbabwean
Date: 19 Dec 2010
Written by Wallace Mawire
Sunday, 19 December 2010 09:07
CHIREDZI – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has handed
over a revolving livestock scheme to the community which was set up to
benefit Zimbabwean refugees who want to return home from South Africa.
The scheme was started in 2007 as a joint project between IOM and Chiredzi
district authorities to help re-integrate people that wanted to come back
home. According to Yukiko Kumashiro, IOM Programme Support Officer, the
project “was done to promote sustainable livelihoods through the
establishment of a community-managed livestock scheme”.
“The project sought to provide a viable livelihood opportunity, offer
returnees an income generating activity, contribute to household and
community development and reduce the incidence of irregular migration,”
noted Kumashiro. Kumashiro added that with financial support from the
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the project
targeted 200 returnees from South Africa who were assisted and registered by
the IOM Beitbridge Reception and Support Centre.
She said the beneficiaries targeted were households with orphans, unemployed
youths, the elderly and the chronically ill and also female headed
households. At inception, 201 households were assisted with 886 goats and
the goat population had risen to over 2400 goats after two years.
“By the end of the project, a total of 460 households had been assisted and
another 200 households were registered to receive goats from the third cycle
of the pass on scheme”, she said. The project is reported to have also
equipped the beneficiaries and the host community to engage in commercial
goat production and offer good quality meat which could compete on the
domestic and international market.
“The revolving livestock scheme stimulated the development of a commercial
small livestock industry in Ward 9 of Chiredzi District, an indicator of the
multiplier effect of the project,” she added. Also recently IOM assisted
project beneficiaries with marketing and managed to facilitate the sending
of goats to an abattoir in Masvingo. Beneficiaries who sent their goats
expressed joy at the returns realised.
The group was assisted by IOM to open a bank account for the project.
Members are required to make contributions into the Livestock Insurance Fund
Account so that there will be resources available to meet market related
costs. Throughout the project duration, IOM has been working closely with
government agencies and departments, NGOs and other stakeholders. The
support from Agritex, the Veterinary department, the Ministry of Labour and
Social Services, the District Administrator’s office and the Chiredzi Rural
District Council had been instrumental to the success and sustainability of
the project. Communities have expressed interest to continue the project.
IOM will use the positive outcome of this project to develop strategies to
replicate it in other areas such as Plumtree.
“It is our hope that the Ward 9 community through the structures that were
set up in partnership with relevant government agencies will continue to
work in the same spirit and realise benefits from the revolving livestock
scheme. If managed well the scheme will be able to spearhead development in
this community and the impact will have a spill-over effect into other
sectors of the economy”, said IOM Head of Programmes, Natalia Perez.