Vulnerable families in the Midlands province are now working for four hours a day in exchange for food as drought takes its toll in a region where nearly one million people are in need of food aid, a government minister has revealed.
by Stephen Chadenga
Provincial Affairs Minister, Jason Machaya said in the face of the serious drought ravaging the province, Midlands managed to put in place drought mitigation and poverty alleviation programmes to cater for people in need of food aid.
“Despite the province experiencing a serious and harsh drought in the last farming season, we have managed to score a success in areas such as drought mitigation, poverty alleviation, water and sanitation and food and nutrition,” Machaya said at a constitution advocacy meeting in Gweru last Friday.
“We have programmes such as food-for-work, which involve communities working four hours a day, which is basically 15 days a month, and in return vulnerable households are now able to get food aid or its equivalent in monetary terms.”
Districts such as Mberengwa, Gokwe South and North, Zvishavane and Chirumanzu are the most hard hit by the drought. In some parts of Gokwe and Silobela there have been reports of people surviving on wild fruits.
Despite the assurances, there have been reports of officials stealing grain meant for food aid and diverting it for personal use.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
There have also been reports of people being denied food aid on partisan lines although government denies the allegations.
The food-for-work programme was relaunched this year.
Latest figures show that 4 million up from 3 million people in the country need food aid.
Early this year government appealed for $1,6 billion in aid to help pay for grain and food.
