WORLD Vision International (Zimbabwe), in partnership with Irvine’s Zimbabwe, has started implementing two pilot livestock projects in ward 15 of Chihota to help economically empower villagers and make it possible for them to generate income through business-focused projects.
BY TAFADZWA UFUMELI
Leader of the Gukuta Piggery project Majorie Muringani is seen inside the vegetable garden on site of the project
The Materera and Gukuta chicken projects began operating in 2016.
The Materera project, situated at Materera Secondary School in ward 15, received a donation of 2 550 chicks from Irvine’s Zimbabwe at the beginning and helped train the villagers as the project began its first six-week cycle of production on February 25 last year.
The project is being led by Josphine Rwambiwa from Gunzvenzve area. She said it had helped them to look after orphans in their community.
A solar powered borehole which is supplying water to both the school and the Materera chicken project
“We used to have too many unsupported orphans in the community and children who have parents failing to send their children to school, but through this project, we are managing to help each other with the profits from the project,” she said.
The project is being implemented by a group of 13 members — 11 women and two men — who were selected on voluntary and interest basis at village level.
Leader of the Gukuta Piggery project Majorie Muringani shows off helthy vegetables which they are watering using pig manure
“We are working with more women than men. When we started, we were 20 (14 women and six women), but four of the men chickened out and we are now left with two men and 11 women,” Rwambiwa said.
The other project, Gukuta Pilot Piggery, is situated at Gukuta Secondary School and is being taken care of by 20 people, who include 11 men and nine women.
They were trained by the Pig Industry Board prior to the launch of the project.
Some of the chickens from the second cycle of production of Materera Poultry Project
The business and showing signs of sustainability as evidenced by the fact that it is already self-financing, according to participants. The project is able to buy feed, chemicals and vaccines.
“Because of this project, now I have experience in farming without using modern fertilisers,” Marjorie Muringani, the leader of the piggery project, said.
The project now gives business to a nearby abattoir which periodically collects pigs that are ready for slaughter, and the pork is sold to retailers, including supermarkets and butcheries in Chitungwiza and Marondera.
“The community is accessing vegetables from the garden at the piggery project on a low-cost and I am happy that we are passing the knowledge we gained from this project to all the other villagers so they can benefit as well,” Muringani said.
Both projects are using renewable energy, mainly solar, to keep refrigerators cold and to pump water from the borehole.
“I’m challenging other women in Zimbabwe to take a bigger responsibility in their families and remove a perception of saying women cannot lead,” Muringani said.
She added that plans were in the pipeline to multiply the projects and build a hospital in their ward since they have to walk long distances to access health services.
The income generated from the projects is being used to self-sustain the project as well as to fund the replication of such projects within the community.
Some of the recently weaned piglets in Gukuta Piggery Project pens
World Vision programmes manager for Chihota area, Ignatius Maodzeka, said: “There is dominance of women in projects running in Chihota. Women have a higher commitment level as compared to men.”
According to the organisation’s development facilitator for Chihota green field, Melody Manyimo, women have shown greater commitment in spearheading the projects.
“I have seen women spear heading these projects and running them effectively. We will do more to empower them as we have seen great potential with these projects,” she said.
Water for the chicken and piggery projects comes from solar-powered boreholes, that also supply 1 256 pupils and 68 teachers with safe drinking water.
The Materera chicken project leader Josphine Rwambiwa is seen nursing some of the chickens from the second cycle of production
It has made life easier for pupils and teachers, who no longer have to spend most of their time fetching water.
“Historically, women have tended to be left out for different reasons, but as World Vision, it is part of our responsibility to ensure we create equal opportunities and engage more women for projects to be more sustainable because of their commitment,” Maodzeka said.
Both projects produce manure which is sold to surrounding communities at affordable prices so that they can use it in their vegetable gardens. The Gukuta Piggery Project also uses the manure for its vegetable garden that has been established on-site.
An opportunity has also been provided for pupils at both schools to enhance their theory with practical learning and skills and this has the potential of influencing their future careers, for example deciding to take small livestock production as a business.