The Sunday News
Clinton Moyo, Business Reporter
A BULAWAYO-BASED women empowerment group, Inotho Kubomama/Upfumi Kumadzimai — is sending some of its members to explore the Asian market with prospects of exporting their goods.
Inotho Kubomama/ Upfumi Kumadzimai programmes co-ordinator Mrs Nonceba Mwedzi-Agwaniru said the group is intending to export its “road runners” (inkukhu makhaya) and peanut butter to Dubai and China.
“We are sending two of our members to Dubai to explore the market because we intend to export our road runners and peanut butter to Dubai and China. Of course for now, we cannot take our road runners to Dubai but as for the peanut butter our members will be able to see how the market responds to it because they are taking it with them,” she said.
Mrs Mwedzi-Agwaniru said the duo will leave the country on Wednesday to Dubai for the four-day trip.
This comes after the group entered a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a farmer in Umzingwane District, Matabeleland South Province Mr Walter Moyo to lease part of his farm for the purposes of embarking on extensive agricultural projects.
Mrs Mwedzi-Agwaniru said they will use part of the farm to grow cereals, horticultural produce as well as rearing of small stock.
She said her group was also expanding into the tourism industry.
“We have a number of projects that we are doing, recently we bought two vehicles for our tourism business using those little contributions that women make from their small businesses. We have managed to register one of the cars and we are still raising funds to register the other one,” she said.
She said the cars will be used to drive tourists around the country.
Inotho kubomama/Upfumi kuMadzimai is a non-governmental organisation whose aim is to consolidate women’s roles and capabilities in the political, economic and cultural participation.
The group provides a number of services and products stretching from farming, arts and crafts, mining, catering and sporting among other services.
-@clintonmoyo2
