LYING in the semi-arid region of Zimbabwe, Chiredzi district is prone to drought and prolonged mid-season dry spells.
The perennial dry spells impact negatively on crop yields and this year's El Nino-induced drought has left villagers in the hunger-stricken region on the edge.
Earlier this year, traditional leaders in the Lowveld sent distress calls to government and non-governmental organisations for food aid, as the region was experiencing acute food shortages due to the El Nino-induced drought.
The distress calls have yielded positive results with approximately 2 000 villagers in Chiredzi district benefiting from a drought resilience-building programme aimed at giving them a source of livelihood amid the ravaging drought.
The programme is being run with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAid) with Mwenezi Development Training Centre (MDTC) being the implementing partner.
Addressing journalists during a tour of the project recently, MDTC district co-ordinator Chris Lambika said they were carrying out the resilience-building programme covering four wards including wards 10, 13, 14 and 15 in the district.
“We have four components under the programme. In the first year in 2022-23, the project was targeting about 1 000 farmers in those four wards. Between 2023 and 2024, we increased the number to 860, giving us a total of 1 860 people”
“In that view, the resilience building component is about to respond to various stresses and shocks that are being brought about by the climate change issues, especially the current drought that is affecting the country,” he said.
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Lambika said they were working with various government stakeholders including the ministries of Agriculture and Women’s Affairs.
“These government departments are the custodians of the project. In the event that the project comes to an end, these departments will continue to make sure that there is functionality of the project.
“The project is there to make sure that we augment government efforts as enshrined in its community action plans,” he said.
Lambika said they had also established eight water points powered a solar system under one of the four components, among other projects.
“We have also distributed a total of 37 200 chicks to 1 860 farmers. And these farmers are benefiting in different ways.
“Nutritionally, they are getting the eggs from the chicks. They are also getting the income from the sale of eggs, from the sale of chickens. This is what the project is actually getting into.”
“We are also linking these farmers with the markets, that is the private sector, so that they will continue to get income from the proceeds of selling the chickens,” he said.
The Lowveld, which is in Climatic Region 5 popularly known for the production of small grains including sorghum and millet and receives rainfall below 650mm annually, this year had the small grains yield affected by the drought before blooming.
