Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
THE National University of Science and Technology (Nust) and the World Food Programme (WFP) are conducting a nationwide assessment of community livelihoods aimed at coming up with suitable sustainable programmes to boost food security.
The research project follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to research on food security in a bid to alleviate hunger by the two parties in January.
WFP is funding the implementation of the project.
In an interview, Nust communication and marketing officer, Mrs Lindiwe Nyoni said the research programme started recently in the Cyclone Idai-hit Chipinge District of Manicaland province and will be cascading to other districts in other provinces.
Mrs Nyoni said in implementing the project, they are working closely with Government departments, local authorities as well as communities.
“Currently we are in Chipinge but this programme will cascade to other parts of the country. We will be going to Kariba, Nkayi, and Umzingwane, Victoria Falls and even in Harare among other parts of the country,” said Mrs Nyoni.
She said the programme will inform communities of sustainable projects to undertake and provide information to donors so that they do not impose unsustainable projects on communities.
“Half the time donors come and do bird eye’s view assessments without involving communities. They impose their projects on communities and this is not sustainable. The research document will enable humanitarian organisations, be it WFP or World Vision, to implement sustainable intervention programmes,” Mrs Nyoni said.
“In that way we are also harmonising intervention so that organisations will not just impose their programmes on communities but implement sustainable project interventions based on the document that we are producing that directly speaks to specific community livelihoods and how they can be sustained.” — @nqotshili
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