adminNqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
THE World Food Programme (WFP) has endorsed Government’s devolution policy saying locals should be empowered to benefit from their resources as this will enable them to be resilient to natural shocks.
These include drought, cyclones, death in a family or any phenomena that could cause trauma to an individual.
WFP national co-ordinator on resilience Mr Isaac Tarakidzwa revealed this yesterday in Nkayi where the WFP, the National University of Science and Technology (Nust), Government departments as well community members are conducting a resilience study for Nkayi District.
The outcomes of the study will be launched at Nkayi Rural District Council on Monday with recommendations expected to map out how the district responds to shocks.
The resilience study comes as Nkayi is facing a serious drought, just like most parts of the country.
Mr Tarakidzwa said if communities are empowered to use their local resources, they can develop better without seeking external help. “Where ever we have been as the WFP together with Government, we have seen that people are beginning to realise their potential in terms of resources that are available to them and what they can do for themselves without waiting for outside help. We are jointly doing this with Government and this is in line with Government’s policy on devolution,” said Mr Tarakidzwa.
“You look at what is happening in your local community and consider how best you can utilise the resources in order to enhance livelihoods in your context.”
He said the resilience study is meant to capacitate local authorities so that they are better equipped to deal with shocks in the context of climate change.
Mr Tarakidzwa said while the programme is targeting local authorities, it involves communities who are victims of shocks. “So we are trying to see how best we can strengthen their planning. With seasonal livelihood programming, we are trying to understand the local context, we are trying to see what kind of livelihoods they practice in these districts and what kind of shocks affect their livelihoods and what kind of programmes can be put in place to support the livelihoods,” he said.
Mr Tarakidzwa said Nkayi district was selected on priority basis as it is one of the districts consistently affected by recurring droughts threatening people’s livelihoods.
Other districts that have been covered include Chipinge and Chimanimani which were affected by Cyclone Idai as well as Kariba district which is in the same predicament as Nkayi district.
A member of Nust’s Institute for Development Studies (IDS) who is part of the team on the ground, Dr Thabo Ndlovu, said the university’s role is to ensure that the outcomes of the study are in-line with international best practices. — @nqotshili
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