MANICALAND, BUHERA – Buhera, Village Business Units (VBUs) that are envisaged to spur rural economies and modernization are now on full throttle with villagers selling their irrigation produce at competitive prices.
Irrigation produce from over a 100 irrigation projects across Buhera, ranges from fresh maize, cabbages, carrots, tomatoes, onions and rape to mention but a few.
The VBUs are now being run commercially to attract working capital and meet recurrent costs as well as mitigating the impact of El Niño drought which hit Zimbabwe and several other countries in the Southern Africa.
The VBUs is being spearheaded by Prevail Group International tasked with mandate of drilling boreholes across the country in remote marginalised communities.
Presidential Special Advisor and Prevail Group International chairman Dr Paul Tungwarara applauded president Emmerson Mnangagwa of pursuing this national project empowering villagers across the country.
Also read: Businessman Aleck Dzepatsva Faces Court Over Alleged $91,000 Car Theft
“I thank President Emmerson Mnangagwa for providing Buhera with water and nutritional gardens. Almost 100 village business units have been set up in this district.
“Villagers are already harvesting several crops nationwide including maize, tomatoes, oninions, vegetables, water melons. Apart from eradicating hunger the scheme is an economic empowerment game changer,” he said.
Dr Tungwarara said employement has also been created.
“In each province we are employing 60 people directly and several others downstream. The programme by President Mnangagwa is also reaching even the remost parts leaving no one and no place behind,” he said.
“The business units that have been established are 38 and we are moving towards our deadline to have set up 50 business units before independence. Here in Buhera district some village business units are already in use.
“We are not only doing business in Buhera but across the whole country with works ongoing in Gutu, Plumtree, Wedza among others,” he said.
Prevail boasts of well experienced technorats team is employing both skilled and semi-skilled workers in all the 10 provinces it is operating with each province having more than 50 people.
The village business units also have downstream benefits with Prevail Group International contracted to drill boreholes in the Presidential borehole drilling scheme having created more than 500 jobs countrywide in the spirit of leaving no one and no place behind.
Last year, in November cabinet directed that 10 000 business units be established as part of the presidential borehole drilling programme to economically empower marginalized communities across the country.
Some of the beneficiaries of the VBUs across Buhera district, said the presidential borehole scheme had been lucrative generating income and local employment which was empowering villagers to be take control of their economies.
Buhera Gandi village, ward 19 village head Isaac Gandi, said the VBUs were a noble initiative which was empowering villagers at the grass roots level and mitigating the impact of El Niño induced drought.
“We commend the second republic for such the noble presidential borehole scheme which begat lucrative VBUs which have become instrumental in eradicating poverty, and cushioning the impact of drought and water shortages.
“Through the VBUs our communities are now transforming from being a rural subsistence farming economy to commercial agrarian economies, where we villagers have a huge stake in our economic development and growth.
“Local beneficiaries are now producing not only enough food to feed their families but actually surplus produce which finds itself to our local markets and beyond through our sales representatives,” said Gandi.
Bindura rural women that in the previous years bore the brunt of economic woes and marginalization are some of the key benefactors in the VBUs.
Gertrude Mapanzure a local villager, who is a beneficiary of the VBUs in Mbizi village applauded the presidential borehole scheme of financially empowering women to generate income and become bread winners, something frowned down by the country’s dominate patriarchal society.
“We applaud president Emmerson Mnangagwa for such an excellent initiative that has empowered us women to also become bread winners that can support our families and children financially through the income we generate from our produce.
“Traditionally us women we are largely perceived as cheap or free labour by society, but since the presidential borehole scheme was introduced, we have transcended into bread winners that also bring something to the table.
“I never thought in my life time women’s lives in Buhera would be raised to such greater heights were we also become a source of income to support our communities, families and children,” said Mapanzure.
The Dzenga VBUs currently has over a 100 registered beneficiaries that are part of the presidential irrigation scheme, commercial farmers.
For comments, Feedback and Opinions do get in touch with our editor on WhatsApp: +44 7949 297606
