By Moses Mugugunyeki Government says is committed to working with organisations such as the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS) in order to improve the lives of people in hard to reach communities such as Muzarabani.
This was said by Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri speaking at the commissioning of the US$52 000 Kabaira water scheme in Kairezi ward (23) in Muzarabani on Wednesday.
The water scheme alongside a model school block and maternity waiting shelter in Chiwenga ward 24 were facilitated by the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS) with support from the Finnish Red Cross.
Muzarabani North lies in the Zambezi basin and its one of the marginalised communities.
“Given the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society’s commitment to serving humanity, the government will continue to guarantee its unlimited humanitarian space so that it continues to make positive difference within Zimbabwean communities,” Muchinguri-Kashiri said.
“Allow me to thank the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society and its partner the Finnish Red Cross, key government departments, the local authority and the community at large for working together for the success of the projects.”
The Kabaira Water Scheme is part of the ZRCS’s Building Community Resilience Through Integrated Health and Disaster Risk Reduction and comprises six 5000 litre tanks and nine taps, which support over 2000 families, including a secondary, shopping centre and clinic.
Muchinguri-Kashiri urged the local community to jealously safeguard this infrastructure for posterity.
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“Sustainability will only be attained through our unity of purpose and commitment to the progression of the community,” she said.
“The government will always be in full support of such noble humanitarian efforts and we want to encourage the local leadership and the community at large to work with important players like the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society in fostering resilience and sustainable development.
The minister said government appreciates the importance of water in guaranteeing food security, health and personal hygiene, as well as agricultural production and energy supply, among other socio-economic necessities.
She, however, bemoaned the state of the road network in Muzarabani North.
“We want to tar these roads and avail social amenities across the district. This might take time, but it is government’s thrust to improve the lives of people,” Muchinguri-Kashiri said.
ZRCS president Edson Mlambo said his organisation was not new to Muzarabani district having operated in the district since 2008.
He said ZRCS’s indelible humanitarian footprints remain visible, through its emergency and developmental projects in the area.
“Notable milestones of our presence here include the footbridge construction for Chadereka, safe learning structures, toilets, and boreholes rehabilitations along with first aid trainings and awareness raising campaigns driven by village based Red Cross volunteers,” Mlambo said.
“These largely community resourced micro-mitigation activities indirectly created the enabling environment for a resilient community. The project allowed the communities to champion their own resiliency by determining the solutions to the priority risks that they face.”
Mlambo said the water schemes in Chiwenga and Kairezi were set to transform the communities.
Muzarabani North MP Zhemu Soda said efforts were being made to improve the constituency through a cocktail of government interventions.
“We face a number of challenges which are more of climate change induced. However, through government and our partners’ support we are working on a number of developmental programmes In Muzarabani North,” he said.
Soda said government was working on the construction of the Mavhuradonha dam to turn the district into a green built.
