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Midlands Bureau
Hundreds of villagers in the arid Gokwe North district are set to venture into various farming projects once construction of the Kajirivanda Dam is complete.
At the moment, the dam is 70 percent complete.
Gokwe North is one of the most remote districts in the Midlands Province, with villagers struggling to access water.
With the help of area legislator, Cde Torerai Moyo and other donors, the community has been working on the Kajirivanda Dam project for the last four years.
Cde Moyo said the community was actively involved in the construction of the dam, with Government also supporting.
He said the project would benefit villagers who are struggling to access water.
“Our main vision is to finish off this project in time. This is a very arid region and the only way is to find a source of water where our people can have irrigation facilities for horticulture projects is this dam project,” said Cde Moyo.
He has been actively sourcing the materials and funding for the construction of the dam, with the villagers providing manual labour and other materials.
Villagers expressed confidence that the community initiated project would succeed.
“This is our hope and we are very grateful to the local Member of Parliament who has been helpful by providing funding as well as lobbying the Government to also release funds for this noble project in our area which is largely dry throughout the year,” said Mr Sasiso Maronge.
“It is our only way to try and beat poverty. We have always been dreaming of having a dam in this area.
“At the moment we are walking for around 10km for our livestock to access water.”
Another villager, Mrs Memory Chanhuwa, said villagers were already benefiting from the water which was being harvested even before the dam was complete.
“Our President (Cde Mnangagwa) has made it clear that ‘nyika inovakwa nevene vayo’. We have to support our Government’s initiatives and provide labour and other materials so that we uplift our area,” she said.
Government is spearheading the construction of dams across the country so that all areas are able to produce food using irrigation, as part of industrialising rural areas.
Dams have been completed in some provinces while construction remains in progress in other areas.
Online Reporter