adminConrad Mupesa
Mashonaland West Bureau
THE University of Zimbabwe’s Business Management Sciences and Economics Faculty has embarked on skills development and upgrades for members of the Kore-kore Cultural Village in Makonde district in a bid to promote local tourism.
The training seeks to boost product development, culinary arts, client reception, financial management and service delivery, among other aspects. Thirty-four beneficiaries of the programme from Ward 9, where the Kore-kore Cultural Village is set up, received certificates of attendance. They praised UZ for the life-changing initiative.
Mrs Ruth Mutungami, one of the 19 females to be trained, said the skills development programme would see the sleepy tourist attraction centre gaining traction in the near future.
“We were taught how to welcome tourists, culinary and hygiene,” she said.
“We are hopeful that what we learnt will add value to the area and help us realise profits.”
Another beneficiary, Ms Poshiah Godora, said the lessons learnt would help fill the gap that existed due to lack of knowledge and skills.
Mr Addmore Sithole said the cultural village was a low-hanging fruit, but unavailability of knowledge and business management skills had been hampering the four-year-old project initiated by the Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Ministry.
The other beneficiary, Mr Godfrey Kamurai, applauded the training, but pleaded with potential development partners to support the project so it becomes sustainable. The Kore-kore Cultural Village is a community-based project aimed at economically empowering marginalised and low-lying areas.
UZ Business Management Sciences and Economics faculty chairperson Dr Dorothy Zengeni, said the programme was part of the tertiary institution’s strategic social responsibility.
“The university is funding the travelling to this site and we have been here five times,” she said. “The participants who are community members, didn’t pay anything for the training workshop we did after conducting a needs assessment.”
There was also need to invest in marketing the Chidzuwi mythical pool, whose formation has conflicting but interesting notions from different schools of thought.
Mashonaland West Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Mary Mliswa-Chikoka commended the UZ for partnering Makonde Rural District Council, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and the Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Ministry.
“Supporting community-based projects such as the Kore-kore Village is indeed in line with the demands of the national economic blueprint, the NDS1 (the National Development Strategy 1), highlighting the Government’s commitment to supporting and empowering marginalised members of our communities,” she said.
“No one and place should be left behind.”
Minister Mliswa-Chikoka challenged the Chinhoyi University of Technology and tourism stakeholders in the province to support the project.
Makonde RDC chief executive officer, Mr Paradzayi Munyede, said in their 2023 budget, they would development and promotion of local tourism in line with the devolution agenda.
Online Reporter