Kuhudzayi village in Dora is home to a high number of orphaned children and the elderly. The village Head, Mr Matiki said that food was barely readily available for them and the vulnerable members of the community had resorted to the selling of pit and river sand, negatively impacting the environment.
As most individual families could not afford to access adequate farming inputs on their own, it was imperative for EFZ to find community-backed strategies that would ensure that the most vulnerable in the community are taken care of in relation to their food needs.
‘Most of our villagers have problems in accessing inputs due to lack of money to purchase the input,s which were being sold at exorbitant prices beyond the reach of many’’, Mr Matiki said, explaining how unaffordability of inputs has resulted in drought and hunger in the village.
By revitalizing the Zunde ramambo concept, EFZ facilitated and supplied the community with 10kg seed, 25kg D and 25kg AN fertilizer for the community project.
‘’The 2020\21 season has been a good season for us, because of the EFZ intervention we are expecting to harvest a tonne of maize. The produce will be used to supplement the feeding of infants, the disabled, orphans and the elderly in the village and also to support the bereaved’’ said village head Mr Matiki.
The produce will also be used as a form of insurance or food bank, for villages that run out of food to borrow grain from the Zunde granary and return it in the following season.
The project has greatly fostered understanding, unity and effective communication amongst community members. It has enabled the community to share ideas and find a solution to common problems.