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Nyore Madzianike Mutare Bureau
WOMEN in Manicaland are set to benefit from the Women’s Bank which is expected to be launched within the next six weeks in Harare. It will open branches across the country. Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development Minister, Cde Nyasha Chikwinya, said they were waiting for President to set the launch date for the bank. “I am very certain that the bank will be launched within the next six weeks. The headquarters will be in Harare, but with branches across the country, including Manicaland.

“It is our sincere hope and wish that it will not be just in provinces, but also at district level,” she said.

The Mutare South legislator said all women should benefit from programmes that would be rolled out by Women’s Bank countrywide.

Cde Chikwinya said her ministry was working on educating women on the importance of participating in various projects and programmes that would be spearheaded by the bank.

“There are a number of programmes that the bank will be undertaking that are meant to benefit Zimbabwean women. We believe that all the programmes will be at grassroots.

“This is in line with the country’s economic blueprint programme, Zim-Asset.

“We want to reduce poverty among women. We will zero-in on the production of food and nutrition as a mitigation measure. We should have visible programmes by our involvement in agro-business and more-so in Command Agriculture,” she said. She said the bank would accept livestock as a form of collateral from women who want to acquire loans as capital to fund various projects.

“Mombe yeumai (bride price), is now being accepted as collateral. Even mbudzi dzemasungaro is now collateral as well,” she said.

Cde Chikwinya said they had begun educating women on command fishery and poultry. She also urged women from the apostolic sect churches to take advantage of the bank and participate in its various programmes.

She also said there were about 1 000 tractors to be disbursed under her ministry to help women involved in farming across the country.