Presidential rural development initiative benefits thousands

THE improved access to clean water and sanitation services under the Presidential Rural Development initiative has benefited 164 villages, 44 schools and 20 youth centres with positive impact on thousands of people across the country.

Enhancing access to clean water and sanitation facilities is at the heart of President Mnangagwa’s vision to boost the quality of life for rural communities while promoting sustainable development across provinces.

Official reports suggest that 2 972 boreholes have since been drilled to date under the programme with 1 166 of the boreholes having been fitted with bush pumps for the provision of drinking water for beneficiary communities.

The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) is spearheading the Presidential Rural Development Programme, which it is implementing together with the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Arda), Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) and the Agriculture Finance Corporation (AFC).

In a statement yesterday, Zinwa, spokesperson, Mrs Marjorie Munyonga, said the flagship scheme under the Rural Development 8.0 model, targeting to build resilient rural communities by availing water to 35 000 villages, 9 600 schools and 4 500 youth centres was part of the country’s economic transformation agenda towards the attainment of Vision 2030.

“Under the programme, Zinwa is set to drill 35 000 boreholes in the country’s 35 000 villages, 9 600 boreholes for schools and 4 500 boreholes for youth centres,” said Mrs Munyonga.

She noted that boreholes form the anchor component for the establishment of village business units, school business units and youth business units whose components typically include the solar-powered borehole, 10 000 litre water storage tanks, one-hectare drip technology horticulture garden, two fishponds and a communal water point.

“The village business units are run on a purely commercial basis with the local communities being both shareholders and employees.

“Arda assists with the management of the village business units and their registration as formal companies while the AMA develops secured markets where produce from the VBUs is sold. AFC provides funding for the units,” said Mrs Munyonga.

Since the launch of the Presidential Rural Development Programme in 2021 communities have benefitted from the programme with some beneficiary villages earning as high as US$3 000 in dividends and as much as US$50 in monthly payouts.

Of the 228 village, school and youth business units, 58 are in Manicaland Province, 16 in Mashonaland West, 37 in Mashonaland East, 34 in the Midlands and 10 in Matabeleland South.

In Matabeleland North Province, 26 villages, schools and youth business units have been established while a total of 33 have been established in Mashonaland Central.

Mrs Munyonga also said Zinwa was set to establish 1 035 ward livestock and drought mitigation centres in areas in ecological regions 4 and 5 to help communities build resilience capabilities in the wake of the El-Nino induced drought.

“The centres will typically comprise a solar-powered borehole, a half-hectare drip technology garden, livestock drinking and feeding troughs and livestock sales centres,” she said.

“To date, a total of 248 boreholes have been drilled in the regions as part of the ongoing efforts to set up the centres.”
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