Govt, WFP in renewed efforts to ensure food security

This came out at a UN Media Training Workshop in Masvingo last week.
World Food Programme (WFP) public information officer Ms Victoria Cavanagh told editors and journalists that about 218 Cash/Food For Assets projects are planned in 21 districts countrywide this year.

She said the projects had already started in areas like Binga, Hwange, Bubi, Insiza, Lupane, Umguza, Beitbridge, Masvingo, Zaka, Chirumanzu, Chiredzi, Bikita, Gutu, Mbire, Mwenezi, Mutare, Mutasa, Buhera, Centenary, Mt Darwin and Rushinga.
Ms Cavanagh said more than 130 000 beneficiaries were targeted.

The Cash/Food For Assets Programme was initiated as a pilot project in nine districts between August and November last year. The districts are Tsholotsho, Insiza, Nkayi, Binga, Mutare, Mutasa, Zaka, Chipinge and Mt Darwin.

The Government, in conjunction with the WFP, came up with the Cash/Food For Assets Programme as a response to food insecurity in Zimbabwe.

This is done through a seasonal targeted assistance programme, comprising free food handouts or cash transfers to the most vulnerable after they would have done some developmental jobs in their areas.

Formerly called Food for Work Programme, it was changed to Cash/Food For Assets, a strategic shift meant to reduce dependence on free handouts and move towards communities creating assets that promote self-reliance, directly address their food security needs and increase their resilience to future food security shocks.

In essence, communities work on different projects and in return are given food handouts or cash to sustain their families.

The programme targets vulnerable rural communities in areas affected by recurrent extreme weather events such as droughts or floods.

“About 125 productive livelihood assets were created or rehabilitated and benefited about 9 960 households while a further 38 805 households benefited from the completed assets created. In these projects, we had more than 1 375 villages in 138 wards participating,” said Ms Cavanagh.

She said Cash/Food For Assets activities include construction and rehabilitation of water sources, improving crop productivity and improving livestock production.

“Types of assets are water source developments like dams, weirs, wells and boreholes, improving crop productivity and income, including dietary diversity, community gardens, conservation agriculture and income-generating initiatives. Some are improving livestock productivity through rehabilitating dip tanks, protection of grazing areas and improved access to markets,” she said.

As part of undergoing training, journalists visited two projects under the Cash/Food For Assets Programme in Masvingo district.

One group visited a dip tank and the other visited a weir. The weir is in Dumbu area, Ward 13 under Chief Mugabe where villagers have started a gardening project called Ivhu Inhaka Weir and Garden and is set to benefit 60 families in the area.

Both projects are being funded by Christian Care International and WFP.

Aqua Culture, a non-governmental organisation, donated about 22 000 fish for a fishing project and members are busy widening the weir.

A member of the project, Ms Nyarai Majoni, said villagers noticed that much water was flowing away unused so they decided to construct a weir to harvest it and put it to use.

“We saw that there is plenty of water here and started this one-hectare garden. Our aim as instructed by the donors is to encourage self-sustainability and improve livelihoods. Our hope is that it will grow through time and be sustainable,” she said.

On the field, WFP public information officer Mr Tompson Phiri said villagers were working 20 days per month on the projects.

“The idea of starting a food-based programme came after realisation that cereal production is not good in this area and we came in with food as an incentive for people to work in developmental projects during the dry season and when people have no food. Our focus is on water source projects which can later translate to other self-sustaining projects and we work with other partners,” Mr Phiri said.

He said in line with the Government’s Food Deficit Mitigation Strategy, Cash/Food For Assets Programme activities only take place after the harvest in April until the beginning of the farming season in November, to allow people time to work in their own fields.

Secretary of the project Mr Saul Mvurachena said they were in the process of constructing a four-metre high wall to increase the size of the weir.

“Water flows from the rocks throughout the year and we are in the process of constructing a wall as we do not want the fish to be washed away when rains start. We hope to be done before the rains start because people are showing zeal in the project,” he said.

One of the project members Ms Regai Madembo said they welcomed the projects as they help fight poverty.

“We do our household chores in the morning and come here for two hours per day. This is a good project and very soon we will be able to pay school fees and buy food for our children,” she said.

The villagers are being assisted by Agritex officer Ms Betty Pachapo who said she was encouraged by the uptake of developmental projects in the community.

“This is the third project in the area and people have welcomed them. My duty is to give them advice and they have taken it,” she said.

The councillor for the area, Councillor Bernard Mhike, said: “This is an important occasion for us and we should thank our funders for such projects which are an eye opener to all communities that we should accept empowerment programmes.”

Similar projects are going on in nine other wards of the district where about 7 770 people are expected to benefit.