Women Economic Empowerment
‘Maçimbi (Mopani worms) are our ‘gold mines’
Over 250 people converged at Matshiloni Village, Beitbridge to witness the groundbreaking ceremony for the Mopani Caterpillar Processing Centre. They consisted of officials from Ministries of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development, Finance, Labour and Social Welfare, ILO social partners and people from the surrounding villages.
(HARARE, ILO News) ‘Maçimbi (Mopani worms) are our ‘gold mines’ declared the District Administrator (DA), Mrs Kilibone Ndou-Mbedzi, welcoming the assembled guests to the ground breaking ceremony for the Rovhona Raita Cooperative Mopani Caterpillar Processing Centre at Matshiloni Village, about 50 kilometers from Beitbridge town on the Masvingo highway. Situated in a province that sits on the edge of the Kalahari desert, ecological regions 4 and 5, with annual rainfall averaging 500 mm, the District Administrator’s statement aptly describes the maçimbi, a seasonal natural resource that occurs during the agricultural season from March to June. Natural resources in this region are limited compared to other provinces that are richly endowed with a variety of minerals.
The ground breaking ceremony signified the official launch of the project activities. Acknowledging the hard work of the 106 member Rovhona Raita Cooperative which has benefitted from the AfDB supported Youth and Women Economic Empowerment Project (E4WAY), the DA specially recognised 18 members from the original group of 42. She noted that individuals, households and whole communities have been transformed through group cohesion and unity of purpose in the Cooperative.
Weighing in, the ILO Director, Ms Hopolang Phororo in her remarks said: “the project is a vehicle for addressing issues of rural unemployment and gender inequality. …. This Maçimbi Processing Centre will be a business hub that will be providing services, business information and training to all community members involved in the Maçimbi value chain. This will be done to enhance consistency of the quality and the supply of Maçimbi to the various target markets and the broaden opportunities for employment creation along the value chain. ”
The Cooperative is one of the E4WAY target groups identified in seven of the poorest districts of the country. These are Beitbridge (Macimbi); Marondera and Lupane (honey), Guruve (artisanal gold ore milling); Mutasa, Chimanimani, and Mutoko (horticulture). With an estimated combined population of 650,000, at least 5,000 youth (aged between 15 to 35 years) and women (over 35 years) are expected to benefit from the project and its selected value chains. The direct project beneficiaries will include youth and women run MSMEs, associations, cooperatives and Vocational Training Centres, who will co-own the processing enterprises to be established by the Project.
In her official statement at the launch of the project and recognizing the partnership between the Government of Zimbabwe, the AfDB and the ILO, Hon. Sithembiso Nyoni, the Minister of Gender, Women Affairs and Community Development remarked that “Establishing Value Addition Processing Plants is part of our goal to grow women in Zimbabwe…. We must therefore all ensure that we are indeed committed to working together in the spirit of cooperation and partnership that has defined the journey thus far, and together achieving our ultimate, underlying goal –into a development success story, one capable of improving lives, reducing poverty, and giving Matebeleland South citizens a better hope for the future.”
For older people, using them as part of a meal offers the necessary nutrients that curb obesity and address blood pressure and sugar challenges. Hence, people are advised to resort to traditional diets, which comprise the mopani worms.
It is therefore of little surprise that the top leadership of the province as in governor, provincial administrator, district administrator, mayor of Beitbridge, and most of the councilors, are women. This group of female leaders has walked with women from the community from when they came together to purchase two dairy cows for milk for nutrition for their growing children. They now each own seven to eight cows, with the group diversifying into market gardening, poultry and re-forestation in a bid to reduce the impact of harvesting of maçimbi, which can sometimes have a devastating outcome on the forests.
It goes without saying that improving the processing of the maçimbi will also improve their economic value, heightening prospects of increased exports to nearby South Africa and Botswana, who have provided ready markets over the years.
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The ground breaking ceremony signified the official launch of the project activities. Acknowledging the hard work of the 106 member Rovhona Raita Cooperative which has benefitted from the AfDB supported Youth and Women Economic Empowerment Project (E4WAY), the DA specially recognised 18 members from the original group of 42. She noted that individuals, households and whole communities have been transformed through group cohesion and unity of purpose in the Cooperative.
Weighing in, the ILO Director, Ms Hopolang Phororo in her remarks said: “the project is a vehicle for addressing issues of rural unemployment and gender inequality. …. This Maçimbi Processing Centre will be a business hub that will be providing services, business information and training to all community members involved in the Maçimbi value chain. This will be done to enhance consistency of the quality and the supply of Maçimbi to the various target markets and the broaden opportunities for employment creation along the value chain. ”
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The Cooperative is one of the E4WAY target groups identified in seven of the poorest districts of the country. These are Beitbridge (Macimbi); Marondera and Lupane (honey), Guruve (artisanal gold ore milling); Mutasa, Chimanimani, and Mutoko (horticulture). With an estimated combined population of 650,000, at least 5,000 youth (aged between 15 to 35 years) and women (over 35 years) are expected to benefit from the project and its selected value chains. The direct project beneficiaries will include youth and women run MSMEs, associations, cooperatives and Vocational Training Centres, who will co-own the processing enterprises to be established by the Project.
In her official statement at the launch of the project and recognizing the partnership between the Government of Zimbabwe, the AfDB and the ILO, Hon. Sithembiso Nyoni, the Minister of Gender, Women Affairs and Community Development remarked that “Establishing Value Addition Processing Plants is part of our goal to grow women in Zimbabwe…. We must therefore all ensure that we are indeed committed to working together in the spirit of cooperation and partnership that has defined the journey thus far, and together achieving our ultimate, underlying goal –into a development success story, one capable of improving lives, reducing poverty, and giving Matebeleland South citizens a better hope for the future.”
The health benefits of mopani worms
With the cost of meat prohibitively expensive in this semi-dry region of Matabeleland, in the southern part of Zimbabwe, mopani worms are an important source of protein. Their nutritional value is recognized and endorsed by the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare to the extent of recommending the powdered form of the dried worms to be used in porridge to improve dietary feeds for malnourished children. |
For older people, using them as part of a meal offers the necessary nutrients that curb obesity and address blood pressure and sugar challenges. Hence, people are advised to resort to traditional diets, which comprise the mopani worms.
Economic and social empowerment potential
Vulnerable groups comprising widows, orphans, people living with HIV/AIDS derive livelihoods and are enabled to pay for essentials, such as children’s school fees and making improvements of homesteads from this seasonal product. The women in particular, have progressively been financially empowered, which has translated into assertiveness and their taking up leadership positions.It is therefore of little surprise that the top leadership of the province as in governor, provincial administrator, district administrator, mayor of Beitbridge, and most of the councilors, are women. This group of female leaders has walked with women from the community from when they came together to purchase two dairy cows for milk for nutrition for their growing children. They now each own seven to eight cows, with the group diversifying into market gardening, poultry and re-forestation in a bid to reduce the impact of harvesting of maçimbi, which can sometimes have a devastating outcome on the forests.
It goes without saying that improving the processing of the maçimbi will also improve their economic value, heightening prospects of increased exports to nearby South Africa and Botswana, who have provided ready markets over the years.