Online Reporter
Obey Musiwa
Herald Reporter
A poultry empowerment initiative in Harare Central Constituency is changing lives, with 10 groups – comprising widows, single mothers and other disadvantaged women – each receiving 1 000 chicks under a programme designed to promote self-reliance and economic independence.
Launched by area legislator, Mr Lovemore Jimu, the project is part of a broader push to turn backyard poultry farming into a sustainable livelihood option, aligned with Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 goal of achieving upper-middle-income status.
Rather than offering short-term relief, the initiative focuses on long-term empowerment, equipping women with productive assets that can generate income, improve household nutrition and strengthen community resilience.
Mr Jimu said the programme is about building independence among vulnerable groups.
“This poultry project is not just about chicks; it is about giving women the tools to stand on their own feet,” he said.
“When a widow or single mother gains financial independence, the entire household benefits and the community grows stronger.”
He added that the initiative is deliberately structured to move beneficiaries away from dependency towards entrepreneurship and sustainable livelihoods.
“We are dismantling barriers to financial independence by equipping women with productive assets.
“This is how we move from welfare to empowerment, ensuring no one is left behind in the march toward Vision 2030 to attain an upper-middle-income society,” said Mr Jimu.
For many beneficiaries, the project represents more than just an economic opportunity – it is a pathway to food security, education for children, and improved living standards.
“A woman who can feed her family through poultry farming is a woman who can send her children to school.
“This project is about ownership and creating lasting opportunities for women,” he said.
Mr Jimu described the initiative as a model for grassroots economic transformation, arguing that small-scale interventions can have wide-reaching impacts when properly supported.
“Small backyard projects can scale into thriving businesses that uplift entire wards.
“This is how local leadership drives meaningful change, one group at a time,” he said.
As the chicks settle into their new homes, hopes are high that the project will grow beyond subsistence farming into a network of thriving micro-enterprises, helping women take firm steps toward financial independence and long-term stability.
