The Sunday Mail
Tendai Chara
The crowd gathered at Birirano Village, in Chipinge’s ward four watched in admiration as a group of women sang and exhibited well-choreographed dance routines.
Clearly over the moon, the women, led by the burly but energetic Mrs Rachel John, are members of the Tanganda Village Savings and Lending group.
Birirano villagers connecting irrigation pipes
Mrs John grabbed the microphone and narrated the group’s “rags-to-riches” story.
She enthusiastically told of how the introduction of the village saving and lending group transformed the lives of previously disadvantaged people.
“Before the introduction of this programme, we were nothing. As women, we depended heavily on our husbands and we were not in a position to make decisions. Our husbands provided everything – from food to clothing.
“Thanks to the savings and lending programme, local women are now able to provide for their families. Our husbands are now consulting us.
“These nice and expensive shoes that I am wearing today were not bought by my husband, I bought them myself,” Mrs John said, amid ululation and clapping.
The Tanganda Savings and Lending Group is one of 1 600 such groups formed throughout the country as part of USAid’s Enhancing Nutrition Stepping Up Resilience and Enterprise (Ensure) programme.
Under Ensure, 13 000 vulnerable people formed groups that raised US$500 000 to initiate businesses such as livestock rearing, chicken breeding and garment making.
Launched in 2013, Ensure is a five-year US$56 million development food assistance programme.
The aim of the programme, according to Stephanie Funk, the USAid Zimbabwe mission director, is to address the underlying causes of chronic food insecurity and malnutrition in rural areas by improving health and nutrition.
Ensure also seeks to build economic resilience and to assist communities create productive assets.
A total of 21 savings and lending groups were formed in Tanganda. The women are taught project planning and management and marketing among other things.
“Members of each group contribute a certain amount every month. From the collected money, members can access loans at 20 percent interest. After every six months, group members will then share the money,” Mrs John said.
According to Mrs John, members have bought assets and livestock and built houses.
Members have also started poultry and small livestock producing projects, creating employment in the process. Members of the project have a cumulative 300 goats that are ready for the market.
One of the many projects under Ensure in Birirano is the Chidzadza Dam and Irrigation Scheme.
Last year, villagers identified a dam and irrigation site as their top priority during a disaster risk reduction exercise.
During construction of the dam, USAid provided the building materials and technical support as well as a 50kg bag of sorghum for those that took part in the construction work.
With the construction of the dam, the village has since established a community garden with 2,6 hectares of irrigable land and 105 beneficiaries were allocated plots.
Mr Ngoni Gudyanga, one of the beneficiaries, said: “This is a drought-prone area and the construction of the dam means that we are going to farm all year round. We can’t wait to till the land.”
As part of Ensure, USAid is also running a supplementary feeding programme targeting pregnant women, lactating mothers and children. Beneficiaries are given soya beans, cooking oil, peas and sorghum.
According to Mr Richard Ndou, the Ensure deputy chief of party, the feeding programme was successful in promoting exclusive breast feeding, early registration of pregnancies and promotion of behaviour change.
The programme also combats malnutrition and cases of diarrhoea have significantly dropped.
Mrs Joyline Simango of Dziwandi Village was one of the lactating mothers who received food handouts at Nyanyadzi Primary School.
“Before the feeding programme, I was not in the best of health. My child was also malnourished. We are now super fit as you can see,” a beaming Mrs Simango said.
USAid is also co-ordinating the Feed the Future Zimbabwe Crop Development Programme.
Farmers at Mhakwe irrigation scheme in Ward 18, Chimanimani, have been assisted to increase productivity. Under the programme, the farmers were linked to micro-finance institutions which availed credit for the farmers to procure inputs such as seed and fertiliser for the production of beans.
Each farmer received inputs valued at US$160 for beans on a 0,2 hectare plot. The loan is paid after harvesting.
Farmers are trained in good agricultural practices, farming as a business, good nutrition and hygiene practices and gender equality.
As part of its drought mitigation strategy, the programme is training women in food processing of dried black jack, pumpkin leaves, cowpea leaves, tomatoes and beans among other foods with a view to promote year-round access to nutritious foods.
According to Manicaland provincial administrator Mr Fungai Mbetsa, 85 900 families are receiving food aid in the province. Buhera district is hardest hit by drought, with 30 000 families receiving food handouts, with another 10 000 families in need of food assistance.
Since the beginning of the year, more than 3 000 cattle have died in Chipinge as a result of a lack of grazing. It is estimated that 2,8 million of the 9,4 million rural residents face food insecurity.
Poor weather over the past two summer cropping seasons, characterised by erratic rains and long dry spells, contributed to large-scale crop failure across the country.
