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VILLAGERS in Nkayi District, Matabeleland North province, have embarked on a drought mitigation food programme which is aimed at rehabilitating three dams and building a dip tank in exchange for food.
Nkayi District Administrator, Moses Mbewe, told Chronicle that they are rolling out a drought mitigation programme funded by the World Food Programme (WFP) that will help feed 42, 000 people in the district.
“We are rolling out a food programme called Productive Assets Creation (PAC) which is funded by WFP. Rather than people getting free food handouts, they should work on their productive assets, hence the name of the programme. Through this programme we are expecting to benefit 42,000 people in the district,” said Mbewe.
Beneficiaries of this programme are going to be relieved from hunger at the same time developing their communities by resuscitating infrastructure or building new ones.
According to Mbewe, there are 109,300 people in Nkayi District and this WFP programme is only targeting 39.8percent of the population which is in a desperate situation of food shortage.
The implementation of this food for work programme has already begun and is expected to go on until the beginning of the new year.
“In Ward 19, villagers are working on a dam. They are de-silting and rehabilitating the Mathetshaneni dam. Each villager is provided with 50kg maize, cooking oil and beans after working,” said Mbewe.
A villager in Ward 19, who identified himself as Abednego Moyo, told Chronicle that this programme is very helpful to them because of the scarcity of food and water in their communities due to drought.
“Almost everyone in the village is facing food shortages because of drought. We cannot afford to buy food for our families and we are grateful for this food programme as it benefits the whole community so that our livestock gets some water,” said Moyo.
In Ward 29, villagers are working on the rehabilitation of Nkayi Dam which is the main source of water for irrigation and drinking purposes for the people’s livestock. The communities are also working on the rehabilitation of a dip tank.
“Due to drought, locals have resorted to buying vegetables from Kwekwe, even from Bulawayo. This has been a challenge to our people. The cause of this problem is the malfunctioning of the galvanised pump in one of our irrigation systems. So Ward 29 people are rehabilitating and de-silting Nkayi Dam so that we are able to catch all the rain water since it has begun raining,” said Mbewe.
Also in Ward 26, Sikhobokhobo area, villagers are busy rehabilitating their dam in order to collect rain water for their livestock.
In the Gwamba Valley, Ward 30, villagers are constructing a new diptank and also de-silting a dam.
This WFP funded programme is only meant to provide food relief for only 39.8percent of the population of this district. 15 wards out of 30 wards in the district are going to benefit from this food programme.
“Drought is our main challenge. So through this programme we are expecting to feed only 42,000 people in the district out of a total population of 109,300. There is a huge gap which needs to be filled in terms of addressing the hunger situation here in Nkayi,” said Mbewe.
The remaining 15 wards are getting assistance of food relief from other drought mitigation programmes such as the grain loan scheme that is government funded and other food supporting organisations.
“We are looking forward to increasing the number of beneficiaries under the seasonal targeted assistance. This programme is progressing gradually and by the end of December we are expecting to be feeding 27,950 people, in January next year 34,634, in February 38,280 and in March 41,926,” said Mbewe.
A villager identified as Tshokiwe Ncube (78) revealed that they have begun registering names for the WFP programme in Gwamba Valley.
“I have registered my name for the WFP programme in Gwamba and we have started working at the diptank. I got my 50kgs of maize, cooking oil and beans and I’m so happy. I also heard that other communities were registering the programme at Hompani Primary School,” said Ncube.
Eight thousand people are said to be receiving food handouts from the nutritional support programme that is targeting people living with HIV/Aids.
On October 30 this year, the government extended a helping hand to the people of Nkayi, in an effort to address the issue of hunger.
Hundreds of villagers thronged Tshili Business Centre in Nkayi District to witness the launch of Isiphala Senkosi/Zunde raMambo Scheme.
The event was held concurrently with the launch of the Presidential Well Wishers Agricultural Inputs Scheme for 2013-2014 farming season.
So far Nkayi received about 250 tonnes of Compound D basal fertilizer and 557 tonnes of Ammonium Nitrate.
“We have distributed over 209 seed maize to 30 wards and the balance of 57 tonnes is expected to benefit the remaining wards, which is ward 13, 14, 16 and 27. The rest of the seed has been distributed to the beneficiaries,” said Mbewe.
The Councillor for Ward 21 in Bona area, Violet Baloyi expressed contentment over the distribution of the Presidential Well Wishers Agricultural Input Scheme for 2013-2014 farming season and the time on which it was distributed to the community.
“We would like to express our gratitude to the President for giving us these farming inputs on time. As we speak, people are busy tilling their fields because almost every one managed to get something in this part of Matabeleland,” said Baloyi.
Baloyi refuted claims that the farming inputs are abused by some of the leaders in the communities.
“Distribution of farming inputs here is free and fair. There is no favouritism because villagers registered for these inputs. What happens is people bring their national identification cards and they collect their fertilizer or seed maize,” said Baloyi.
Online Reporter