Communities reap big from Village Business Units

THE establishment of village business units (VBUs) under the Presidential Rural Development Programme is contributing immensely to the betterment of people living in rural areas as some are expected to receive dividends of up to US$3 000.

The VBUs have transformed the lives of villagers across the country through improved food security, employment, and enhanced income generation.

The Government initiated the programme through the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa), and Agriculture and Rural Development Authority (Arda) and President Mnangagwa officially launch it in Mangwe District, Matabeleland South in 2021.

Since then, a total of 1 446 boreholes have been drilled across the country’s eight rural provinces, buttressing the rural development drive being spearheaded by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.

Other components of the Rural Development Strategy include the climate-proofed Pfumvudza/Intwasa, Presidential Fisheries Scheme, Presidential Poultry Scheme, Presidential Goat Scheme, and the Tick Grease Scheme.

In a latest update, Zinwa corporate communications and marketing manager, Mrs Marjorie Munyonga, said the water authority was set to drill and equip 35 000 boreholes across the country in a bid to complement VBUs, which are mostly anchored on market gardening.

“VBUs comprise a one-hectare drip irrigated horticulture garden, water storage reservoirs, fish ponds, and where possible orchards and poultry projects,” she said.

“These boreholes will also provide drinking water for villages, as well as provide water for livestock and dip tanks.

Some beneficiaries of the VBUs have since started receiving dividends while others are expecting dividend payouts of up to US$3 000.”

Mrs Munyonga said Arda was responsible for developing the business modules for the VBUs, as well as registering them as formal companies to be run on sound commercial lines using the local people.

“The agricultural marketing authority assists the VBUs in the identification of markets for their products, which also determine the crops, which the VBUs can viably produce. To date the VBUs have grown an assortment of vegetables including rape, cabbage, carrots, onions, and tomatoes,” said Mrs Munyonga.

In Matabeleland North and South, established VBUs are situated at Makorokoro, Siansali in Binga, and Bemba. In the Midlands province the projects are situated at Hama-Mavhaire, Chitekete and Chemhondoro. Meanwhile, Zunde, Marira, Chigango, Madhogo, Camperdown, Ravine, Manyika, Chiunye, Kazuva and Chaka VBU have been established in Mashonaland Central while Sipambi and Muganhu VBUs have been established in Masvingo Province.

In Manicaland Chisuma, Temaruru, Tamburikayi, Hakwata, Chichesa, Mutema Secondary, and Chief Mutema VBUs have been successfully established.

Beneficiaries of the programme have said their lives were now on a firm transformational path as they are now capable of meeting basic needs such as paying school fees for their children.