Herald Reporter
HURUNGWE East Constituency is witnessing a major development drive, with investment in schools, water infrastructure, roads and community livelihoods gathering momentum under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and Government empowerment programmes.
The development programme, which cuts across several wards, is targeting critical infrastructure gaps in education and basic services while complementing national efforts to improve rural livelihoods under President Mnangagwa’s development agenda.
Among the projects taking shape are classroom blocks at Chanetsa Primary School and St. Micheles Primary School in Ward 3, as well as the construction of a laboratory and associated learning infrastructure at Nyangoma Secondary School.
Official electoral records confirm Chanetsa Primary School and St. Micheles Primary School as schools in Ward 3 of Hurungwe East, while Nyangoma is a registered secondary school in Hurungwe District.
The projects are expected to ease pressure on existing facilities and improve the learning environment for children in the predominantly rural constituency.
The Nyangoma project is particularly significant as the provision of laboratory facilities will strengthen practical learning and support the Government’s drive to expand science, technology, engineering and mathematics education in rural schools.
Hon Kangausaru said the school infrastructure programme was being implemented as part of efforts to ensure that children in Hurungwe East were not disadvantaged by their geographical location.
“We are building schools and improving facilities because our children in rural communities deserve the same opportunities as children elsewhere. The work at Chanetsa, St. Micheles and Nyangoma is part of our commitment to creating a better learning environment for our communities.”
He said some of the projects were now at an advanced stage, with the classroom block at Chanetsa and the block at St. Micheles both nearing completion, while work on the Nyangoma laboratory was also progressing.
Water infrastructure
Beyond education, the constituency is also investing in water infrastructure, with boreholes being drilled to improve access to reliable water for communities and economic activities.
A borehole has been drilled at Kasimure Shopping Centre, while another water project is supporting a community business unit for elderly women involved in vegetable production.
The initiative is expected to strengthen household nutrition while creating opportunities for women to generate income from horticulture.
Kangausaru said the water projects were critical in an area where communities depend heavily on agriculture and horticulture.
“Water remains central to development. When we provide a reliable source of water, we are not only addressing domestic needs but also creating opportunities for people to produce food, establish gardens and generate income.”
Government has previously supported borehole rehabilitation and drilling programmes in Hurungwe East as part of measures to cushion communities from drought and improve water security. Kangausaru has previously credited President Mnangagwa’s leadership for the expansion of water interventions in the constituency.
Poultry scheme reaches schools and communities
The constituency’s development programme is also extending into food security and household income generation through poultry production.
More than 15 000 chicks have been distributed to communities and schools in Hurungwe East under the Presidential Rural Poultry Scheme, with schools among the beneficiaries.
The national scheme is designed to improve rural food security, nutrition and household incomes through the distribution of indigenous chickens and support packages, particularly targeting rural communities, women and young people.
In Hurungwe East, most schools have reportedly received chicks, with schools receiving 100 chicks each to establish poultry projects that can contribute towards nutrition and income generation.
Kangausaru said about 90 to 95 percent of the constituency’s schools had benefited from the programme, with the intervention designed not only to provide food but also to introduce pupils and communities to productive agricultural enterprises.
“We are very grateful to President Mnangagwa for the Presidential Rural Poultry Scheme because it is touching ordinary people at grassroots level. In Hurungwe East, more than 15 000 chicks have been distributed to communities and schools. Most of our schools have received 100 chicks each, giving them an opportunity to produce food, improve nutrition and learn practical agricultural skills.”
The poultry intervention comes as Government continues to promote indigenous poultry production as a relatively low cost rural enterprise capable of generating income through the sale of birds and eggs.
The programme is also being implemented as a pass on model in some parts of the country, allowing beneficiaries to multiply their flocks and extend the benefits to other households.
Roads opening up communities
Road development is another key component of the constituency’s programme, with the construction and improvement of routes aimed at opening up rural communities and improving access to schools, markets and service centres.
Among the roads being worked on is the Uroyi to Chivende road, which are expected to improve connectivity between communities and facilitate the movement of agricultural produce.
For farmers, better roads are particularly important because poor transport networks can increase the cost of moving produce to markets while limiting access to inputs and services.
Kangausaru said road development remained central to the constituency’s wider economic development strategy.
“Our roads are not simply transport routes. They connect farmers to markets, children to schools, patients to health facilities and communities to the rest of the district. Improving these roads will therefore have an impact across the entire constituency.”
Investment in rural livelihoods
The constituency’s development agenda is also targeting vulnerable groups through community based economic initiatives.
At Kasimure, elderly women are being supported through a village business unit linked to vegetable production, with the borehole providing a reliable water source for horticultural activities.
The initiative is intended to combine food production with income generation, allowing beneficiaries to supply nutritious vegetables to their households and local markets.
A new home has also been constructed at Tengwe Central Township in Ward 2, forming part of interventions aimed at improving living conditions for vulnerable members of the community.
The projects are being implemented against the backdrop of broader efforts by Government to ensure rural communities benefit from national development programmes.
Leaving no community behind
Kangausaru said the developments demonstrated that rural constituencies could make significant progress when CDF resources and national Government programmes were directed towards clearly identified community needs.
“We appreciate the leadership of President Mnangagwa because the development philosophy of leaving no one and no place behind is being felt in Hurungwe East. Our responsibility as leaders is to make sure that Government programmes reach the people and that communities see tangible development.”
The MP said the constituency would continue prioritising education, water, roads, agriculture and income generating projects.
His emphasis on youth empowerment also builds on earlier efforts to transform the neglected Tengwe Country Club into a vocational training centre where young people could acquire skills in areas including motor mechanics, cookery, baking, animal husbandry, farming and metal fabrication.
The proposed vocational training centre would broaden opportunities for young people in a constituency where access to skills training remains limited. Kangausaru previously argued that the facility could become a centre of excellence for youth development and help steer young people towards productive economic activities.
With school construction, laboratory development, water projects, road improvements and poultry production now being pursued alongside longer term plans for vocational training, Hurungwe East is positioning its development agenda around infrastructure and economic empowerment.
For communities that have historically faced challenges associated with distance and limited public infrastructure, the projects represent an attempt to bring essential services closer to the people while creating the conditions for stronger rural economic activity.
