The Zimbabwe Rural Development Trust has enabled many rural people to support themselves during some of the bleakest years of the country’s history.
Susan Gurajena, a 40-year-old widow based at Murambinda growth point, is one of the beneficiaries of ZRDT’s partnership with the International Fellowship Trust.
“Most of us were hopeless and we did not have any expectations that we were going to live normal lives,” said Gurajena. “During that period the situation was exacerbated by the fact that my husband died and I was left alone to fend for the family.”
ZRDT engaged members of the community and embarked on sustainable income-generating projects that enabled them to grow vegetables to feed their families and to sell for income generating purposes. “We want to thank the organisation for this project. We are now able to feed on these vegetables. This has also turned into an income generating project where we are getting some income to sustain ourselves,” said Gurajena. ZRDT National Projects Officer, Munyaradzi Kawinga, said: “We are there to work hand in hand with other members of the society to encourage income generating projects.”
He reiterated that their mandate was to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
“We are educating members on how to grow and preserve vegetables,” he said.
Various members of the community also took part in livestock production in Mutare’s high density suburbs.