Njovo Community Set To benefit From Wetland Project

By Martha Leboho

Zimbabwe among many nations commemorate the world wetlands day and the Njovo Community in Zezai village of Masvingo have set their eyes on the banana and honey projects as a means to a better livelihood.

The two projects which are undertaken at Njovo wetlands are done by women in the community, with expectations that it will preserve the natural eco-system, trees and the land.

Lying on a 4.5 hacter piece of land , fenced with a bubbed wire, the set target for this year is 200 beehives and 400 banana plants.

The chairperson of the Apiary projects, Modrick Taruvinga said, “we are targeting 200 beehives, 400 sweet Williams banana plantation, expecting a bumper harvest in the next three months.

We currently have 27 beehives and we have already harvested 60kgs of honey, hoping that the production will increase as the banana plantation begins flowering, ” said Taruvinga .

Loice Zanorashe of Zezai village said the wetlands has brought in empowerment drive in women and this has improved their livehoods.

“We are very grateful with these projects being done, they have empowered women to be self dependent,” she said.

Women who spoke to this reporter said they are now able to pay fees for the children and eat healthy food from the garden.

For many years the nearby school in the community would be destroyed by water from the Hill, through innovation, with the help from EMA the community managed to build a 40cm wall that diverts water to a 40 000litres stone built tank with they use to irrigate banana and citrus plantation across the school.

The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) told Post on Sunday that, “The widerange of ecosystem services wetlands provide means that they lie at the heart of sustainable development and remain key in the development of any country.

Wetlands are fragile ecosystems whose utilisation should only be done under a licence provided by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), “said EMA spokesperson, Amkela Sidange.

Zimbabwe commemorates the World Wetlands Day each year, raising awareness and disseminating information on the sustainable use of wetlands, and this year’s commemoration ran under the theme, “Wetland Actions for people and nature,” under the campaign message -Value, Manage, Restore, Love Wetlands.