The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure
Senior Reporter
THE Presidential Rural Development Programme which is ameliorating water challenges and enhancing food security has gone a gear up with all boreholes drilled so far being equipped with the requisite accessories to make them fully functional.
Water is one of the most important resources required in enhancing people’s livelihoods.
Under the scheme, Government will drill and equip a borehole in each of the country’s 35 000 villages.
Nutrition gardens with a wide range of fruit trees will also be established in the villages.
This should accelerate the attainment of Vision 2030 by ensuring food security, import substitution, poverty alleviation, access to safe and clean water and creating employment opportunities.
Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) spokesperson, Mrs Marjorie Munyonga said they have started equipping the 504 boreholes that have been drilled so far.
Of the 504 boreholes, 51 are in Manicaland, Midlands (53), Mashonaland East (31), Mashonaland Central (79), Mashonaland West (87) and Matabeleland North (51).
Matabeleland South has 47 while 105 are in Masvingo.
“Due to the current wet spell, drilling of the boreholes has slowed down and focus is now on equipping the drilled ones. The boreholes will be equipped with solar systems, while others will be equipped with bush pumps.
“Under the Presidential Rural Development Programme, ZINWA aims to drill 35 000 boreholes in the country’s eight rural provinces. This translates to a borehole for each of the 35 000 villages by 2025.
“The boreholes will, among other functions, provide drinking water for the communities, provide water for the establishment of nutritional gardens, orchards, fishery projects and water for dip-tanks,” said Mrs Munyonga.
She said ZINWA is working with other Government agencies like ARDA, the Tobacco Research Board, Agritex, the Department of Veterinary Services and the Fisheries Department in executing the programme.
Many rural areas in Manicaland have limited access to water for consumption and productive uses.
This has been a major constraint on rural poverty reduction as families are far from water points, thereby impacting livelihoods negatively.
Water availability is capable of promoting rural diversification and competitiveness, while increasing the quality of life for rural people.
Provision of water thus plays an important role in ensuring equitable, sustainable and productive rural economies.
In addition to being an essential element for agricultural production, nutrition and human health, water enables job opportunities in numerous key sectors across the economy.
The solar-powered boreholes will open avenues for the local communities to establish horticulture gardens, drip irrigation for high-value horticultural crops, fisheries, and piped water schemes.
This compliments other existing programmes like the Horticulture Recovery Plan and the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy — aimed at achieving a US$8,2 billion Agricultural Sector by 2025.
By the end of this year, it is expected that projects under the Presidential Rural Development Programme will be earning beneficiary households about US$600 per year.
In addition to these profits, beneficiaries will also be paid wages of US$45 per month for the work they put into the projects.
One of the project beneficiaries in Makoni, Mrs Audrey Mukwewa said nutrition gardens play an important role in enhancing food security and dietary diversity to combat malnutrition.
She said the gardens will be a source of livelihoods for most women, especially widows and orphans.
“After all, water is life and without it, rural life is unbearable. Rural women have no sustainable sources of income and the nutrition gardens will enable them to grow high value horticulture crops and fruit trees to enhance food security.
“This is one way of empowering rural women to cater for their needs without depending on their husbands. They will be able to cater for their household needs as well as the educational needs of their children,” she said.
Another beneficiary, Mrs Plaxedes Makarutse said they will undergo training to enable them to expand, diversify and improve production.
“We will run these nutrition gardens commercially, which will enable us to make profits and savings. We thank the President for this programme as it will enable us to package our products in a professional manner,” she said.
Mrs Felistas Mwendo also hailed President Mnangagwa for his wisdom, as well as his remarkable vision and exemplary leadership, which is positively impacting rural communities.
She said the pursuit of this transformative and inclusive vision is delivering broad based transformation, new wealth creation and expanding rural people’s economic opportunities’ horizons.
