Online Reporter
Mthabisi Tshuma in Bulilima
MORE than 200 elderly women in Bulilima District received a welcome boost last Friday when the Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Dr Evelyn Ndlovu, distributed 10kg bags of mealie-meal to each of them during a community event held at Mbimba Business Centre.
The donation was made possible through a partnership between Dr Ndlovu and the Tzu Chi Foundation. It specifically targeted women aged 65 and above, many of whom are no longer able to farm due to age-related and health challenges.
It was a moment of relief and gratitude for the beneficiaries, whose resilience in the face of hardship has long sustained their families and communities.
Among them was 86-year-old Gogo Fikiphile Nkomo from Mbimba Village under Chief Madlambuzi, who shared how the donation arrived at a time of great need.
“My body no longer allows me to work the fields as I used to. Maize porridge has sustained us for generations, drought or no drought, but now our age prevents us from doing much. We are like shadows of our former selves. Our children have moved on to start their own homes, and we cannot hold them back,” she said.
Dr Ndlovu, who also serves as the parliamentary representative for Bulilima, said the donation forms part of her ongoing mission to uplift women across the district — particularly the elderly, who have long been the backbone of rural communities.
“As the parliamentary representative of Bulilima women, I am committed to improving their lives. This donation is the result of long-standing partnerships, including one with the Tzu Chi Foundation that began during the tenure of former Bulilima East MP, Cde Mathias Siqhoza. It is heartening to see that relationship continuing to bear fruit,” she said.
Dr Ndlovu also announced that more sustainable projects targeting women and girls would be introduced, to ensure long-term empowerment.
Tzu Chi Foundation representative, Sister Mavis Mapfumo, echoed this sentiment, urging women to reclaim their central role in community development.
“When women are empowered, families thrive and communities grow stronger,” she said.
Headman Mbimba also praised the initiative, noting that supporting women is key to the overall progress of society.
Also in attendance at the event were Zanu-PF Matabeleland South Veterans League Secretary for Economic Affairs and former Bulilima East legislator, Cde Mathias Ndlovu, Alderman Zoolakes Nyathi, Bambadzi Ward 10 Councillor Sikhumbuzo Dube, Zanu-PF ward leadership, Government officials and local villagers. —@mthabisi_mthire
