Zimbabwe Free Range Poultry Association (ZFRPA) has thrown a lifeline to local musicians after gifting them with over 5 000 road runner chicks during their first phase of an empowerment programme for the local creative sector that targets musicians and celebrities.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, which took place at the ZFRPA offices at Harare Showgrounds offices, chief liaison officer department of livestock production and development in the Agriculture ministry Wisdom Gunzvenzve said the initiative was meant to ensure self-sufficiency among local creatives.
“The government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Agriculture supports this initiative by ZFRPA and it is our hope that the initiative brings positive change in the lives of our local musicians,” Gunzvenzve said.
“Our government is quite intentional about leaving no one and no place behind and we are happy the ZFRPA has buttressed our efforts through this programme which dovetails similar empowerment programmes by the government of Zimbabwe.”
Gunzvenzve’s sentiments were echoed by the ZFRPA chairman Aaron Shamhu, who said empowerment for the musicians would go a long way in ensuring food security at household level.
“The highest level of poverty one can endure is lack of food at home and we are happy that our association is lending a hand to local musicians and celebrities so that they can eke a living out of the poultry projects beyond their usual music engagements,” Shamhu said.
“If our musicians successfully manage these poultry projects, they will have enough food supplies at their homes and go on to sell some of the produce from the initiative to earn extra income.
“We are very practical in our empowerment approach and over the years we have witnessed great progress from these initiatives.”.
Zimbabwe Free Range Poultry Empowerment for Musicians chairman John Makombe thanked ZFRPA and the government for the gesture highlighting that such practical empowerment would go a long way in changing the life of the musicians.