TATENDA CHIKARA IN MASVINGO
At least 30 000 families in Masvingo Province will benefit from the cookstoves initiative by the Development Aid from People to People Zimbabwe (DAPPZ) meant to combat the effects of global warming.
DAPPZ chief executive officer Luckson Soda, said the initiative would help reduce the cutting down of trees for energy.
“…We have managed to come to Masvingo as an organisation with a programme to assist families with stoves that use only small pieces of wood to cook the whole day. It will be now different from the old days where people used to cut down trees for firewood,” Soda said.
“This programme of cookstoves is aimed at reducing the effects of global warming. Therefore, this program of cookstoves will benefit 30 000 families in different parts of Masvingo Province such as Chivi, Mwenezi and other parts.”
He said the initiative would also see the reforestation of trees as well as relieving women from consuming their time looking for firewood at faraway places.
“We will not only see reduced cutting down of trees but reforestation. The women will also manage their time well as they will no longer be fetching firewood from faraway places. Women will utilise their time doing other jobs such as watering their gardens as well as other jobs for their sustainability,” Soda said, urging local communities to embrace planting of trees more than cutting them.
“Communities should stop cutting down trees so that we reduce the effects of climate change but rather embrace planting trees. This will also assist in uplifting our rural communities.”
The cookstove programme was first introduced in Manicaland Province and it will spread to other parts of the country.
