The Sunday News
GWANDA Community Share Ownership Trust has used about $2,5 million on income and developmental projects in the district with 27 groups having benefited from loans for projects. GCSO was launched in 2013 by President Mugabe in Colleen Bawn. Presenting a report to community leader’s forum the chief executive officer, Mr Costa Nkala, said they also managed to buy a rig for borehole drilling in the district.
“We have also built a number of science laboratories in secondary schools in the district to encourage the teaching of science subjects as we discovered that most of our schools were teaching arts subjects only. The community ownership also built staff quarters at schools and clinics as well as providing safe drinking water at these institutions.
On top of that we built classroom blocks at a number of schools and also bought new furniture for the schools,” said Mr Nkala.
However, Mr Nkala said the organisation was struggling to recover over $8 000 forwarded to groups for income generating projects which is supposed to be rotated, as the groups failed to continue with their projects due to lack of viable markets. Most of the defaulters are women groups which ventured into poultry projects. Over $59 000 was loaned to 27 groups and two individuals who are involved in various projects such as piggery, poultry, sewing, mining, goat production, cattle fattening and grinding mills. — Gwanda Correspondent
