By Staff Reporter
In a bid to eradicate poverty and sustain livelihoods the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through their Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Livelihood project is championing the use of naturally endowed resources.
The program is a collaboration between the UNDP and the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and Small and Medium Enterprises.
It is operational in four districts of Zimbabwe, Binga, Lupane, Nkayi and Gokwe South.
The main thrust of the project is to make communities utilize the available local endowments for their livelihoods to generate income.
“In Binga we formed groups of people with the aim of capacitating them through training as well as support them with equipment which will assist them in producing products which are endowed in their communities” said Milton Mugwavha a representative for the Binga District.
UNDP advocates for nationally owned solutions to the reduction of poverty. These solutions are aimed at ensuring a greater voice of the poor and expanding their access to productive assets and economic opportunities.
“We have a group of 10 women which is doing Maheu (Muyaya) which is being made from baobab fruits. We also have another group of people who are into crafts and groups that are into confectionery and sewing. The program helps women to be resilient in my community the program benefits about 500 women, it helps them enhance their skills and promotes the use of locally endowed products”
We have a component of value addition in Gokwe south they are into projects like dried fruits, dried and crushed tomatoes and all these are solar dried” added Mugwavha.
This is in line with the National Development Strategy of Zimbabwe (NDS-1) which advocates for the configuration of the country`s natural resource endowment
“The NDS1 must deliberately leverage Zimbabwe`s competitive advantages particularly with regards to the configuration of our natural resource endowment, our excellent ecological endowment and our skills base” reads part of the Foreword from his excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
