Shot in arm for Chivi children

NEARLY 10 000 primary and secondary school children in Chivi South have received a major food boost after Chivi Rural District Council chairperson Dr Killer Zivhu announced the launch of a massive feeding programme targeting all schools in the district.

Dr Zivhu has already announced plans to immediately start purchasing grain from villagers with surplus in the district to make sure all schools introduce the feeding programme aimed at enhancing education for thousands of school children from poor backgrounds.

Speaking during the official launch of the Village Command Agriculture programme in Chivi South over the weekend, Dr Zivhu said he had set aside $25 000 for the inaugural school feeding programme in the area.

The Village Command Agriculture, the first of its kind and being spearheaded by Dr Zivhu, is aimed at ensuring villagers contribute to food security within their communities.

It will feed into the successful national Command Agriculture that ensured the nation had adequate grain this season.

Dr Zivhu has been spearheading various projects in Chivi District and the Village Command Agriculture programme comes on the back of the Village Zim-Asset programme that he has been pursuing.

The Village Zim-Asset resulted in the rehabilitation of schools, clinics, dams and roads across Chivi district, with the help of communities.

‘’I draw inspiration from the First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe, who has children at heart as evidenced by what she is doing for orphans at her orphanage in Mazowe, and I feel I can also play a small part by assisting school children, especially those from poor backgrounds,” he said.

Dr Zivhu is on record saying the First Lady’s philanthropic work should be replicated across the country.

‘’We will feed our children at all the six secondary and 12 primary schools in Chivi South,” he said.

“I urge people in this area to start producing vegetables and beans because we will soon start buying them to supply all the schools.”

Dr Zivhu challenged villagers in Chivi South to take advantage of the opportunities created by the recently completed Tokwe-Mukosi Dam in the area.

“Let us be proactive,” said Dr Zivhu.

“President Mugabe remembered us and gave us this big investment at Tokwe-Mukosi and now the onus is on us to start working.”

Dr Zivhu said besides a lucrative fisheries industry, villagers in Chivi South could tap into thousands of foreign visitors expected to descend at the dam by coming up with a Village Tourism Centre.

He said the planned game park around Tokwe-Mukosi provided business opportunities for locals.