A BULAWAYO-BASED community development initiative has approached the city council seeking land to set up a community development centre in Pumula.
BY SILAS NKALA
Bambanani Community Development Initiative chairman Gift Marimira told Southern Eye that they were targeting various projects such as waste recycling, beautification and setting up a recreational park to promote conservation of vegetation and natural resources and a nutrition garden.
He said the organisation was founded in 2013 by 15 members of the Magwegwe Community Home Based Caregivers.
“We were dealing with HIV and Aids patients in the community and realised that the effects of the disease to community members had reduced so we thought of doing a project that would benefit the community,” Marimira said.
“We have applied to the city council’s town planning for the piece of land to establish a community environmental development centre. Council said they are processing the paper work and soon it will be discussed at a full council meeting and once all processes are done we hope to start the project.”
Marimira said their vision is to have an environmental development centre to be established in Pumula East just off Ntemba Road.
“We will have projects such as plastic recycling, beautification, walk park to show the community the goodness of keeping vegetation and natural resources. We will have nutrition garden with various herbs. We will reserve another piece of land for educational purposes to work with educational institutions such as universities and colleges,” he said.
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“We are looking forward to agro-forestry education and we want to rope in organisations such as Environmental Management Authority, Forestry Commission and council’s health department on issues of waste management. We will also work with the Zimbabwe National Parks department in dealing with conservation.”
He said they will be soon engaging the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) on project design and architecture.
“We have plans to sign several Memorandums of Understanding with EMA concerning the fencing and technical advice on how the project should be, waste management and environmental protection,” he said.
“This is still at the crafting stage and we look forward to sign three of the MOUs with EMA, Council and NUST.”
The plans to establish the project come at a time when most of council’s parks have been neglected by the city fathers.
