The Sunday News
Farming Reporter
MORE than 15 000 farmers in the Matabeleland region have benefited from an agricultural and food nutrition programme being funded by the United States Agency for International Development that was started in 2013.The programme named Amalima has seen 10 060 farmers being trained in conservation agricultural practices while 2 010 have undergone livestock management practices, which included artificial insemination.
The project’s grants manager, Mr Kenneth Bhauti, said the programme has been highly successful considering that it was still in its initial stages.
“In 2013 the programme was in its preparatory stages and not much was achieved. However, last year we were looking at the figures of the people whom we managed to reach out to and we were impressed. I think it has really been phenomenal.
“The model was designed to empower families to be able to cater for themselves after the end of the programme. In a way it encourages sustainability,” he said.
He said the programme has helped 437 farmers gain skills in irrigated crop production, trained 9 495 individuals in disaster risk reduction practices and 55 wards adopting disaster risk reduction and early warning committees.
Under its health and nutrition cluster, the programme has seen the training of 8 313 people while 8 928 have participated in cooking classes.
It has promoted improved health and hygiene practices to 2 189 individuals.
It has also provided food rations to 7 158 pregnant or breastfeeding women and 10 275 children under the age of two and reaching out to 11 034 people through care group activities.
The projects are operating from Matabeleland North Province’s Tsholotsho district and Matabeleland South’s Bulilima, Mangwe and Gwanda districts.
Amalima’s chief of party, Mr David Brigham, said the programme has helped in meeting food security at household level.
Deputy director of USAID/Zimbabwe’s office of humanitarian assistance and resilience Ms Suzanne Truchard said the programme has managed to meet its targeted goals for the first year.
Mrs Tshandapiwa Moyo, a beneficiary of the programme from Bulilima said a number of people in the district have benefited improving their livelihoods.
“The Amalima programme has assisted us in a number of ways. For instance it sensitised us on sanitation issues as well as encouraging us to consume food of high nutritional value.
“A number of people were now largely dependent on hand outs and through acquiring the knowhow on how to improve their farming enterprises we saw them resuming cropping activities again and this will enable them ensure adequate food security at their homes,” she said.
