About 100 families will be involved in a poultry project that began on July 1.
During a recent media tour, Mbada Diamonds Corporate Services Executive, George
Manyaya, said the mining firm’s involvement in community development
projects was one of many social investment initiatives they had engaged in.
“It is important to give people a fishing rod and
teach them how to fish, rather than just giving them fish. They are the owners of
the project and they sell the chickens to the Mbada Diamonds canteen.
Whenever there is surplus, they sell the chickens to other
markets, thereby generating income,” he said.
“We are going to start with 10,000 birds and we hope
that the community will benefit from that. There will be an abattoir
in the area where the chickens will be slaughtered and dressed.”
A fowl run has already been constructed at a cost of $180,000.
“At Mbada Diamonds our motto is harnessing diamonds for
the people and what better way is there than to bring self-help
projects to the communities?” he added.
Manyaya said Zimbabwean mineral resources belonged to its
citizens and Mbada Diamonds had the duty to mine and exploit them.
“We are cognisant of the fact that we have a responsibility to the
people, which is why we do everything we can to give back to them,”
he said.
Mbada Diamonds Chief Executive Officer, Patience Khumalo, said: “The
families have been relying on the firm’s handouts of food, and that is
expected to decline as their food productivity increases.”
S
In order to spearhead the project, a village committee was put in
place to manage the project. Happy Dube, the Chairman of the poultry project, confirmed that work was already underway.
“The poultry project is already on the ground. We have made all the
necessary arrangements and logistics. We have also mobilised the
community to embrace the project,” said Dube.
Post published in: News