The ManicaPost
This weekend marks a year since the furious Cyclone Idai ravaged the picturesque environs of Chimanimani and Chipinge districts in Manicaland, killing more than 350 people and leaving a trail of destruction.
The economic and humanitarian costs were enormous as the loss of homes, health facilities, schools, roads, bridges, farming land and livelihoods exacerbated poverty, eroded food security and ruined the victims’ lives.
Early this week, The Manica Post toured the affected areas to access how the survivors are coping. Most of them, even those still in makeshift tents, have managed to wean themselves from donor support and are now leading decent lives, mostly from farming.
Ray Bande Senior Reporter
SURVIVORS of Cyclone Idai in Chimanimani, including those still living in makeshift tents in camps, are now weaning themselves from donor dependency as surrounding communities craw back to their different sources of livelihood.
A visit to Chimanimani this week revealed that there is more activity in the fields, with some banana farmers now realizing huge produce from their fields and transporting to the market.
There has also been a remarkable decrease in donor organisations visiting the communities around Chimanimani, compared to the greater part of last year when numerous donor organisations and individuals flooded the area to offer a helping hand following the devastating Cyclone Idai.
For months after the cyclone, people in Chimanimani woke up every day to hunt for the next disbursement of donations as they battled to restore their livelihoods that had been ravaged by the furious tropical storm. The donation craze had become a norm as Cyclone Idai had claimed lives of breadwinners, destroyed houses, workplaces and displaced thousands.
But one year on, banana farming, being one of the major economy drivers of Chimanimani, especially in areas around Rusitu Valley, has been on a steady recovery. Farmers have been witnessing marginal improvements in their production levels.
In Kopa, where 16 hectares out of 121 hectares are under the banana crop, Agritex officer for Ward 21, Mr Taguma Sunduza said, “Things have not yet normalized to the state it was before Cyclone idai. There are a number of factors that influence that.
“Since the cyclone hit us, we had huge challenges in terms of farming. People were no longer concerned with working in the fields. For about nine months, they concentrated more on hunting for donations since donor organisations had flooded this area.
“Now that most donors have retreated and there are just a few remaining, people are now turning their attention to food production and income generation through farming,” he said.
At the height of Cyclone Idai’s devastating effects last year, Salvation Army’s Lieutenant Garnet Muringai, who conducted the burial of the 21 bodies interred at the Chimanimani heroes acre, told The Manica Post that residents of Ngangu and the surrounding areas were becoming too dependent on donations.
“The situation has improved in terms of accessibility, with particular reference to Ngangu Township. We are really grateful for the donations that we received from day one.
“However, we have realised that it is now a norm for people to wake up to hunt for the next donation disbursement point. It is even surprising how these people sniff the disbursement points.
“For example, it only takes a few minutes for people to gather in huge numbers at one point before moving to the other. It looks as if there are some social media platforms where such information is shared,” he said then.
The clergyman also revealed that even those that had not been affected by the cyclone were also queuing for donations.
“Some people from nearby areas are also taking advantage of the situation to join queues and get donations meant for the survivors. We suspect that some are even taking these goods, especially clothes, for resale,” he said.
