Sthulisile Maphosa, 33, from Ward 11 in Ngamo area, always dreamed of being a successful business woman. Lack of collateral prevented her from accessing a bank loan to start a business, but today, her dream has been realised thanks to the Ngamo Ventures Project which was initiated some three years ago.
Maphosa is a member of a consortium of rural women who embarked on a registered community project. The women quarry two types of sand from their farms and from a nearby river bed, which they sell to housing scheme developers or to individuals building on residential stands in the cities of Gweru, Kwekwe and Bulawayo.
When this reporter visited the site recently, it was a hive of activity with trucks and workers from popular building companies parked in the bushy area located about 45 km west of Gweru Central Business District. The members of the consortium are holders of clean sand abstraction certificates issued by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA).
They also possess a valid Environmental Management Plan that chronicles their strategies of rehabilitating the land after sand quarrying exercises, in line with existing laws. The practice is in sharp contrast with the illegal activities in sand abstraction mostly carried out by Chinese companies in the area.
Good dividends
Maphosa reported that the project is now paying good dividends. “We sell a cubic meter of silver sand for $10 while a load of river sand goes for about $60. When we started most of us were just poor women who were clueless on how to make ends meet. Some of the women who are part of this project are widows. The venture has proved to be a lifeline for all of us,” she said.
Senzo Mabeleka, 44, another member of the consortium, described the changes the project has brought about in her life as a rags-to-riches experience, fitting the description of a Cinderella story. “From the proceeds of our business, I have been able to build a four bed-roomed house, which makes me a property owner of note in this area. It makes me proud as a woman because when I joined the scheme two years ago, life was really difficult for me as a widow. I could not afford basic things like putting food on the table, paying the education expenses for my kids and ensuring adequate health care for my family,” she said.
Helping youths
A former nurse, Nomathemba Ngungumbane, who quit her profession at the height of the economic meltdown in 2008, said the venture had also created jobs for some of the young boys in the community, who are employed in tasks such as rehabilitation of the land through refilling the pits, planting trees, loading the sand into trucks and preparing food for the women.
“In our small way we are helping unemployed youths in this area. They come in their numbers and wait on the side-lines until we invite them to perform selected tasks. This is helping to reduce delinquent behaviour such as drug taking and criminal activity among youths,” she said.
The project has inspired others in the community and has also acted as a challenge for some of the men.
Kesari Chidanhika, 52, a farmer at Plot 65, who has turned his farm into a sand abstraction site, admitted he was inspired and challenged by the success of the women involved in the project.
Chinese poachers
“I said to myself, what the women can do, I can do even better. I have switched from farming to engage in the sand quarrying business after realising that the women who engaged in the project are thriving. I have fenced my farm and acquired a licence from EMA. So far, I am doing well,” he said.
Another farmer, owner of Plot 55, Martha Mugaviri, said she was inspired by the women’s venture and had turned her farm into a sand mining site. “I am a widow and although I have not joined the consortium of women engaged in the Ngamo Ventures Project, I have turned my farm into a sand excavation site. I specialise in silver sand and I can confirm that the move has led to significant improvement in my circumstances,” she said.
The women’s venture, like any other initiative, faces challenges. The biggest of these is the problem of poachers, many of whom are Chinese who own building companies in Gweru.
“The poachers storm our area in the dead of the night using heavy trucks and haphazardly dig for the sand in our areas. Because we are women, even if we hear the sounds of the vehicles at night, we cannot come out to confront them for safety reasons. We have made reports to EMA and we hope the problem will be dealt with,” said Tariro Ngwenya.
Timothy Nyoka, the Midlands spokesperson for EMA, said his organisation had received the reports and, in the past, has carried out blitz operations in conjunction with ZRP, Vungu Rural District Council and the city of Gweru to try and stop the poachers. “The challenge is that the poachers work in the shadow of darkness when officers have gone off duty. Their activities are a cause of concern because this is contributing to land degradation. We are however trying to rectify the situation,” he said.
Post published in: Gender Equality