Poor Communities to Benefit from Poverty Alleviation Project

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

GWERU – The European Commission and Heifer Netherlands have funded a US$2.3 million poverty alleviation project through the Heifer Project International that is set to benefit 33 000 people in the Midlands province.

The project will see cattle farmers in the province receiving heifers as a pass on gift project. In an interview with The Zimbabwean On Thursday at the launch of the project, the Heifer International Zimbabwe Country Director Bongani Ngwenya said his organisation was aiming at increasing food security of the people through increased food production and household income.

“The programme is going to reduce environmental degradation through the promotion of environmentally friendly livelihood practices. This will increase the resilience of the target groups by strengthening their capacities for social economic action,” he said. He added that the project which started in February was targeting 33 120 people out of the 5 520 farm families in the four districts of Midlands province.

“This project is going to benefit the vulnerable groups in the communities, which include widows, orphans, child headed families, the elderly and people living and affected by HIV and AIDS,” Ngwenya said. Heifer International had been active in the cattle re-stocking programme since 1983 in the Midlands province.

“We initiated the pass on heifer scheme that has seen the communal farmers tremendously benefiting,” he said. Heifer International was established in Zimbabwe in 1983 and is currently working with other various organisations in improving the lives of the ordinary Zimbabweans.

Source: The Zimbabwean (link opens in a new window)