FOR several youths in Bulawayo, like any other parts of the country, unemployment and idleness is the order of the day.
However, the recent introduction of the fish farming project being sponsored by the Danish Church Aid (DCA) and the United Nations agency World Food Programme (WFP) under the urban resilience programme at the Old Lobengula Community Garden in Bulawayo has rekindled hope for a better future for several youths and the elderly.
WFP, DCA and their partners, who include government departments, are collaborating in empowering various communities in Bulawayo, and Old Lobengula Community Garden is one of the beneficiaries.
For Themba Ndlovu (28), from Old Lobengula, life has not been rosy due to unemployment, but his mentality changed when the DCA and WFP initiated an idea for them to have a fish pond so that they could start fish farming in the suburb.
“Unemployment is high and thinking of how to survive was a nightmare for me,” he said.
“Although this project is not yet complete, it got introduced and we were considered to benefit from it, and I am hopeful that when it is complete, we are going to benefit together with our families,” he said.
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During a tour of the Old Lobengula Community Garden project last Wednesday, project committee chairman Trynos Dube told NewsDay Weekender that they were currently constructing a fish pond, but the recent incessant rains had stalled progress.
“We are constructing a fish pond that is being sponsored by the DCA and WFP under the urban resilience programme,” he said.
“Currently, we have been disturbed by the rains that fill up the pit with water. If it was not for that, we would have completed the first phase of construction.”
Dube added that they hope to complete the construction in the next three weeks.
“Our sponsors have offered to fund the construction of the pond.
“The pond will be 1,7 metres deep and six metres wide.
“It will be having steps levels and we look forward to having 2 000 or more fish in it.”
According to Dube, upon completion and at productive stage of the project, they have a ready market to supply the fish.
He said the fish farming project initially started with 23 members being considered, but due to various reasons, some youths left for greener pastures and formal work, leaving a total of 15 members.
“The fish inputs will be provided by our sponsor.”
Dube said most of the members in the projects were women and added that drilling of the solar-powered borehole was being funded by the WFP through the DCA.
“We sell our produce to the community. People come to buy in bulk from us,” he said.
“During the period when we have more vegetables like now, we usually have a lot of customers. At times one gets even more than US$20 from one bed.”
Sibonginkosi Siphepha (78), a member, said she joined the project way back in 1970 before the recent rehabilitation and upgrading.
“I am surviving through this project. Just last year, I got 12 buckets of tomatoes and sold them to the market and to the community,” she said.
“In a good harvest, I get US$100 at once. Since I am an elderly person, I no longer have minor children, I really survive and I am comfortable with the income I get from the produce.”
WFP fact sheet states that around 2022, the UN agency decided to move into the urban spaces to address food challenges, where they started with cash transfers that targeted 62 500 people across urban domains.
It states that this changed the dietary diversity and food consumption when combined with resilience activities, greater potential for income generating activities.
From cash transfers, they moved to urban resilience programmes, in which they support 6 500 urban households prioritising women-headed households and youth through skills, tools and ISAL savings groups.
This enables the livelihoods and entrepreneurship training start-up kits for viable value chains.
WFP states that this resulted in higher incomes, more diversified livelihoods, improved financial literacy and business management, stronger participation in local markets.
WFP noted that in order to build resilience in Bulawayo, they realised the need for water infrastructure, adding that the resilience infrastructure would enable the communities to build resilience programmes around the sources.
Indications are that between 2023 and last year, they managed to solarise and mechanise three boreholes in Bulawayo, which are supplying water to communities.
The communities are also having gardens within the borehole areas and these community gardens are under the City of Bulawayo, with beneficiaries being selected by the local authority.