Chivi villagers appeal for food aid as hunger bites

TATENDA CHIKARA IN CHIVI

Villagers in Chivi district  Masvingo Province are battling massive starvation with some going for days without food, it has been learnt.

Ward 5 councillor, Grace Mukungunugwa, told Business Times the situation was dire as villagers were battling to feed their families.

“There is terrible starvation here as we are all away from the drought. Recently,  there was a woman who came to me saying I have gone for days without food and I assisted her with a bowl of mealie meal but it’s not enough,” Mukungunugwa said, urging the government to speed up the process of food assistance “as people may die of hunger”.

The District Development Coordinator for Chivi district,  Innocent Matingwina told Business Times that the government through the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVac) was doing the evaluation programme of those in need of assistance.

“ZimVac is already in the field but they are yet to give us the findings. In terms of hunger the government is serious, there are a number of NGOs that are trying to support people and cushion them from hunger.

“Some organisations are assisting villagers with rabbit projects, goats and cash transfers,” Matingwina said.

In ward 12, councillor Tedfed Tizai said the Jairos Jiri Association has started assisting about 230 villagers through the cash for work programme.

“After the government discovered that there was hunger it roped in  Jairos Jiri organisation which took 230 villagers for cash for work. Villagers will work on areas that need to be developed and do the work for cash transfers,” Tizai said.