Shot in arm for Binga community

Prestige Muntanga/Alfred Mudenda

LUUNGA villagers in Binga North have received a big boost from ActionAid Zimbabwe and partners who have donated  a solar-powered water system as well as building crops and livestock innovation centres that are aimed at improving lives in communities. 

Matabeleland North Minister of State Richard Moyo pontificated at the official handover of the donations to the  Binga communities.

The project which has been running for six-years in three districts namely Binga, Mbire, and Kariba has resulted in marked and huge developments in the target  communities. 

Moyo said the program has massively empowered marginalised communities including people with dissabilities (PWDs).

“Through its various projects and programs the program is contributing towards national policies one of which is the NDS1 of 2021-2025 which has the primary objective of implementing strategies, programs and projects for navigating poverty and promoting sustainable livelihoods of the poor.Vulnerable groups including women, children and people living with disabilities have also benefited..

He added that  Binga district has earned thousands of dollars as a result of the project.

“As a result of these projects15 336 kids have been dropped from the goats breeding component, 155 cows  born through artificial insemination, 9 boreholes were rehabilited, 5 new boreholes were drilled, 4 piped water systems established and 1 piped water scheme extended to two kilometres and serving over 800 households.

“In addition farmers have earned over $USD59 200 in the past 12 months. Through the sustainable keeping model, the project raised over 9 965 dollars and this has reduced the prevalence of street born diseases in the district to less than 5% mortality through the agro ecology concept. The project trained and assisted farmers in small grain product,” he said.

The project was implemented and coordinated by ActionAid Zimbabwe in partnership with Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association, Microsoft Holdings (private) Limited, African Breeders Services, and Total cattle Management (private) Limited. 

Several villagers told  Community Podium that the project has changed their Iives. 

“This project has changed my life as  I have managed to pay fees for my children and I’m now able give them three decent meals every day,” said Gertrude Dube. 

ActionAid Zimbabwe director Job Mabenge said the project benefited many households in Binga, beyond what was anticipated. 

“TheZimbabwe Resilience Building Fund project’s main objective is to increase capacities of communities to protect development gains and achieve improved outcomes in the face of shocks and stresses,” he said. 

“In Binga, the project is being implemented in all the 25 Wards of the district and to date, it has reached a total of 25 323 households out of a targeted 21 771 in Binga district. The main objectives are to build the resilience of individuals, households, and communities in all the three districts and to increase the absorptive, adaptive, and transformative capacities of the targeted rural communities in districts.

“The project promotes technology innovations through drip system installations, water harvesting techniques, and greenhouse nursery establishment. The assets handed over include  the Musazi Piped Water and Chitongo dip tank,” he said.

The donated piped water is a solar-powered system composed of 6 solar panels and 2 horsepower DC pumps. With a good depth of 120 metres. This scheme supplies water to 5 key areas, which are the community getting tap water, the Musazi dip tank, livestock drinking through the Musazi garden, and Musazi primary school. It covers a total distance of 2,5km which is a combined distance from the borehole through the school to the community.  

The Chitongo dip tank is used for the complete immersion of livestock in a liquid that contains an acaricide. It has a collection pan that  serves as a holding area for livestock before dipping, an entrance race made of a concrete floor to prevent animals from slipping, and side steel bars for channeling the livestock. It also has a tank plunge whole that holds 20 000 litres of water which is housed by a roof to prevent rainwater from diluting the dip wash. A catwalk concrete wall the full length of the dip tank to give access to dip attendant easy and safe access to the dip hole. And a drainage /drying pen that accommodates 50 animals at a time.

One of the crop and livestock innovation centers is Chafuluwe Community Nutrition Center  in Kapale village in Kabba ward 17, which is 12 km away from Lusulu centre. It is a 2-hectare garden whose water source is a solar-powered borehole. 

Farmers grow a wide variety of nutrition-dense horticultural crops which provide them with both essential micro and macronutrients throughout the year and a source of income.

Mandimoni Crop and Livestock Innovation Centre situated in Zyakamana village in Sinamagonde ward 21, which is 35km away from Lusulu business centre acts as a learning center where farmers learn new technologies for implementation in their household fields and/or gardens. New livestock production innovations  such as pen fattening, artificial insemination, goat gene fusion, and animal health management are also being implemented at Mandimoni.