CHIREDZI - The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has handed over a revolving livestock scheme to the community which was set up to benefit Zimbabwean refugees who want to return home from South Africa.
The scheme was started in 2007 as a joint project between IOM and Chiredzi district authorities to help re-integrate people that wanted to come back home. According to Yukiko Kumashiro, IOM Programme Support Officer, the project was done to promote sustainable livelihoods through the establishment of a community-managed livestock scheme.
The project sought to provide a viable livelihood opportunity, offer returnees an income generating activity, contribute to household and community development and reduce the incidence of irregular migration,” noted Kumashiro. Kumashiro added that with financial support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the project targeted 200 returnees from South Africa who were assisted and registered by the IOM Beitbridge Reception and Support Centre.
She said the beneficiaries targeted were households with orphans, unemployed youths, the elderly and the chronically ill and also female headed households. At inception, 201 households were assisted with 886 goats and the goat population had risen to over 2400 goats after two years.
“By the end of the project, a total of 460 households had been assisted and another 200 households were registered to receive goats from the third cycle of the pass on scheme”, she said. The project is reported to have also equipped the beneficiaries and the host community to engage in commercial goat production and offer good quality meat which could compete on the domestic and international market.
The revolving livestock scheme stimulated the development of a commercial small livestock industry in Ward 9 of Chiredzi District, an indicator of the multiplier effect of the project, she added. Also recently IOM assisted project beneficiaries with marketing and managed to facilitate the sending of goats to an abattoir in Masvingo. Beneficiaries who sent their goats expressed joy at the returns realised.
The group was assisted by IOM to open a bank account for the project. Members are required to make contributions into the Livestock Insurance Fund Account so that there will be resources available to meet market related costs. Throughout the project duration, IOM has been working closely with government agencies and departments, NGOs and other stakeholders. The support from Agritex, the Veterinary department, the Ministry of Labour and Social Services, the District Administrators office and the Chiredzi Rural District Council had been instrumental to the success and sustainability of the project. Communities have expressed interest to continue the project.
IOM will use the positive outcome of this project to develop strategies to replicate it in other areas such as Plumtree.
It is our hope that the Ward 9 community through the structures that were set up in partnership with relevant government agencies will continue to work in the same spirit and realise benefits from the revolving livestock scheme. If managed well the scheme will be able to spearhead development in this community and the impact will have a spill-over effect into other sectors of the economy, said IOM Head of Programmes, Natalia Perez.
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