Online Reporter
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
ZANU-PF Matabeleland South Women’s League members have received 2 500 chicks and 150 bags of feed to kick-start income-generating projects as part of a broader empowerment of women initiatives.
The consignment will be distributed in all seven districts.
Speaking during a recent handover programme in Gwanda, Zanu-PF provincial Women’s League chairperson, Cde Sindisiwe Nleya, said over 200 women will benefit under the first round and will then pass on the chicks to other groups.
“We received 2 500 chicks and 150 bags of feed from starter to finisher from the honourable Professor Mthuli Ncube.
He said since we are in the month of celebrating women and as he was also visiting Matabeleland South, he saw it fit to bring us a gift as women,” she said.
“We are grateful for this kind gesture, as it will uplift us as women from Matabeleland South. After selling the chickens, beneficiaries will get income. Each district will get 300 chicks and feed. After two months, they will pass on to other groups.”
Cde Nleya said empowering women was one of the key strategies for attaining Vision 2030. She urged women who have been capacitated to fully utilise the resources given to improve their standard of living and sustain their families. Cde Nleya said once families have been empowered, communities will be capacitated and the entire province will also be capacitated, leading to the attainment of Vision 2030.
She said women have been trained in poultry production and small livestock production. Cde Nleya said women have also been capacitated with knowledge on how to identify and access markets.
She said the poultry project will help ensure that women are self-sufficient, as a number of households are being manned by single mothers.
The Government, under the Zanu-PF leadership, has made significant efforts to empower communities through the implementation of various livelihood projects as the country surges towards attaining Vision 2030.
Cde Rebecca Ndou from Beitbridge said the donation made the project a success and applauded the information shared on how to nurse chickens.
“I would like to thank Honourable Mthuli Ncube for this noble gesture. He has given us a treasure that will last us a long time. Through these chickens, we will be able to put food on the table and send our children to school,” she said.
“We will work in groups so that our project is a success and pass on the chickens to other women. We will do all in our power to make this project a success.”
Cde Clara Langa from Insiza District said the intervention was ideal as women have been given chicks and feed to help them sustain their project. She said women sometimes struggle to purchase feed, which affects the sustainability of their projects.
“In the past, some chicken projects have failed because of a shortage of food. This intervention is ideal because the Honourable Minister isn’t only giving us chicks but the necessary feed to sustain the chickens until they are mature and ready for the market,” she said.
“We will carry on from the training we received as a women’s league. We had a programme, which was facilitated by Zanu-PF Secretary for Women’s Affairs Cde Mabel Chinomona, where women received chicks. The programme didn’t cover all women in the province, and now we are giving those who didn’t benefit last time,” she said. — @DubeMatutu
