Dam transforms Mwenezi community

Mwenezi (Masvingo Star-New Ziana) – A dam project in Chitanga Village, Mwenezi District, has transformed the area by boosting food security and empowering the community with income generating projects.

Pegged in 1990, the dam construction was stalled due to lack of funds, but the community mobilised own resources and completed the dam and weir in 2005 with help from the World Food Programme (WFP) and Plan International.

The dam, on the eastern side of the Masvingo-Beitbridge road, has eased water shortages which previously ravaged the area, and enabled the villagers to establish a viable nutrition garden with over 150 members.

It also provides abundant water for livestock.

The development has brought remarkable transformation to the community surrounding the dam, besides producing vegetables for nutrition, generate income from the sale of surplus, and fishing.

More than 513 households with a population of 1 213 and 6 442 cattle are direct beneficiaries.

Mwenezi East Ward 1 Councillor, Collen Musariwa said development practitioners, local authorities and government ministries should continue supporting the community with technical support to ensure their project is sustainable in the long term.

However, fishing and nutrition gardening have been discouraged much of the this year due to lack of rains in Mwenezi, he said.

Masvingo Star-New Ziana