Chronicle Editor
Lumbidzani Dima, Chronicle Reporter
THE Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Evelyn Ndlovu has initiated a poultry project in Bulilima, Matabeleland South, educating local women on how to nurture broilers.
Last Friday, she donated and taught women at Fairview and Bambadzi in Bulilima district in Matabeleland South, a move in line with the National Development Strategy (NDS1).
NDS1 is the country’s first five-year medium-term plan aimed at realising the country’s Vision 2030 of having a “Prosperous and Empowered Upper Middle-Income Society by 2030”.
Through NDS1, the Government aims to enhance inclusive growth by enhancing the participation of those sections that were traditionally excluded from mainstream economic activities, and that includes women and youths. Government also seeks to promote gender equality and the participation of women in development processes.
The minister said she provided everything to women for their first project. She provided chicks, stress packs to keep them healthy, as well as feed, the starter and grower feeds, with the finisher on its way.
“A broiler is the fastest growing, leanest and most feed-efficient bird ever produced.
For these to grow well you have to feed them, take good care of them as they are different from roadrunners.
Broilers are fragile, you need to keep an eye on them.
The stress pack assists the chicks in stressful situations such as hot or cold weather, vaccination, de-beaking, the placing of day-old chicks in the house, for the remaining birds after a portion of the flock is slaughtered, and during a period of illness,” said Dr Ndlovu.
She shared her vision of the project with the women who envisioned it along, with great appreciation.
“We are starting off at 25 chicks per area as a test drive, when they survive, we sell them, buy more chicks, nurture them, sell them and buy more until we reach a point whereby, we are the sole suppliers of surrounding butcheries and other towns as time goes on.
I’ll be guiding you all the way until I see that the project is now steady,” said Dr Ndlovu.
“Let us work well together, and make sure that this project does not fail.
Let Fairview be a good example because the country is built by its owners,” she said.
Dr Ndlovu said women empowerment is very important as they are the backbone of their families.
“Women are the backbone of families and they have to make sure that all is well at home therefore, they have to be highly empowered.
A woman, especially a mother, is always looked upon whenever there is a problem in the house.
She has to keep the house clean, and bring food to the table, and also raise children,” she said.
Dr Ndlovu said due to the dry spell experienced this year, there is a possibility of a drought.
Therefore, women have to stand up and act by implementing income-generating projects for their sustainability.
“The previous rainy season we managed to harvest a lot but this time around the rains disappointed us, there is nothing in the fields.
This is a situation that needs an empowered woman who will be able to source food and feed the family despite the situation.
All this can be achieved by doing projects,” she said.
Dr Ndlovu also donated garlic seeds for farmers to plant while giving them health tips of the crop.
She also donated some exercise books to parents for their children.
First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa last month embarked on a mission to empower women and girls through open learning at the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU).
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