UAE, UZ empower rural women

Rejoice Makoni Herald Correspondent

THE Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Zimbabwe is working in partnership with the University of Zimbabwe to empower Zimbabwean women in rural areas through using hydroponics and producing stock feed.

Speaking on a training session on food security and women empowerment held in Domboshava last week, UAE Ambassador to Zimbabwe Dr Jassim Mohammed al Qassimi said the aim of the programme was to enhance food nutrition and security for smallholder farmers.

“We are working with the University of Zimbabwe’s faculty of Agriculture, Environment and Food systems to empower economically disadvantaged women,” he said.

“The programme is a component of the development thrust of the UAE Embassy to advance the livelihood conditions of women. It is also in line with the government of Zimbabwe’s Education 5.0 philosophy that emphasises on the teaching, research, community outreach, innovation and rural industrialisation.

“The training session focused on hydroponics and the preparation of home-based feeds for chickens among women in Domboshava. We want to create opportunities on how we can develop public sectors and different sectors like agriculture and women’s business.”

University of Zimbabwe Vice Chancellor Professor Paul Mapfumo said the training programme was part of University of Zimbabwe’s fulfilment of its responsibility to generate knowledge, products, goods and services for society.

“We are developing strategic partnerships for knowledge sharing and to cause communities such as the Domboshawa peri-urban farming community not only to successfully grow food crops, but to do so using efficient climate smart methods for soil and water use, to manage crop pests and diseases, as well as to participate in profitable value chain processes and successful marketing systems,” he said.

“This well aligns with Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy 1, especially for ending poverty and increasing food and nutrition security. The University of Zimbabwe Strategic Plan 2019-2025 sets out to guide the University community and partners on a transformative pathway to the delivery of goods and services towards industrialisation and modernisation of Zimbabwe.”

“Our partnership with the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates will strategically deliver the best capacity building for our farming communities, and will facilitate, through the University of Zimbabwe the learning and adoption by our farming communities of the tried and tested approaches that have led the United Arab Emirates to successfully harness natural and heritage resources into one of the most successful economies in the world.”

A beneficiary of the empowerment projects, Ms Anna Chikowore, hailed the stakeholders for uplifting their lives.

The project is benefiting more than 30 women in the Domboshawa peri-urban area.