Villagers in Gwanda, Matabeleland South Province have welcomed a solar-powered horticulture project that was recently installed in some parts of the area, in a bid to alleviate hunger and increase food security in one of the country’s driest areas.
The villagers have been depending on food handouts from both government and civil society, but the advent of the solar powered water pumps have brought hope, as villagers are now into horticulture practices.
The programme, being funded by the Jersey Overseas Aid Commission (JOAC) and being implemented by Practical Action, has seen more than 60 households, mainly in Sibula Village, Gwanda North benefiting.
Leslie Masotsha Tshalibe (60), chairman of Matshokodo garden in Ward 8, said the solar powered garden project has transformed their lives through ensuring that vulnerable members of society have food on the tables.