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Conrad Mupesa  Mashonaland West Bureau 

AT least 2 000 people from eight villages in the Magunje constituency in Hurungwe are set to have their lives transformed following the rehabilitation of the Chabume Weir.

Already, the villagers have started benefiting from the dam whose rehabilitation works stand at 90 percent complete, with the setting up  of a horticulture garden and fishpond now in motion. 

The villagers have been using sources from nearby farms to provide water to their livestock.

Chabume Weir, is being rehabilitated by Caritas Zimbabwe Diocese of Chinhoyi partnered by Hurungwe Rural District Council, with funding from the Catholic Relief Services, while Government engineers are providing the much-needed technical support for the construction of a 150-metre long and four-metre-high dam wall. 

Villagers are providing labour, stones and sand for the construction.

Speaking during the World Water Day commemorations held at St Boniface Mission, village heads lauded the development saying it was going to address the challenges they have been facing for long. 

Chabume Village head, Mr Insam Chinhema said the rehabilitated dam was a priceless possession to the community that struggled to support their livestock. 

“We were struggling especially during winter and summer for we couldn’t provide water sources for our livestock. Most of the villagers would take their animals some 10 to 20 kilometres where there are dams,” he said. 

The area produces thousands of kilogrammes of tobacco but unavailability of a reliable water source was beginning to cripple their operations.

“As you know Hurungwe is a tobacco-producing district. The unavailability of a bigger water source had deterred many from taking part in the industry. Most of the villagers who do tobacco were now being forced to have their seed beds in other villages far away from them where they didn’t have full control of their much-needed input,” he added.

Makumire village head, Ms Stella Makumire, said the dam was going to uplift most women in the area. 

“We are confident that this dam will economically empower women. With the drought that we are facing right now, the dam is going to be a source of life for many families through gardening and fish farming,” she said.

For St Boniface Mission headmaster, Father Armstrong Kaunga, the dam was going to support 250 learners and 14 staff members from the school. 

The authority tried to drill boreholes at the school that failed to sufficiently sustain the needs of the boarding facility.

Hurungwe Rural District Council social services development officer Mr Remigio Makuwerere said the project dovetailed with the local authority’s drive towards the attainment of Vision 2030 as espoused by President Mnangagwa.

“Chabume is one of the life-changing projects and it speaks to National Development Strategy 1 through infrastructure development for Vision 2030 to be attained,” he said. 

Caritas Zimbabwe’s agriculture and livelihood specialist Tawanda Gwavuya said the organisation was working with the Government through its line ministries and funding partners to ensure that they bring life-changing projects to disadvantaged communities.

The diocese which covers Mashonaland West and some parts of Mashonaland Central, has brought smiles to thousands of villagers in Muzarabani and other districts in the two provinces. 

In his speech Catholic Relief Services WASH specialist, Mr Edson Nyashanu said the project which has the potential to contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6 of Water and Sanitation for all by 2030, was not only for the church, but for the entire community. 

“We must understand that a healthy community is directly connected to a healthy environment, and one cannot exist without the other. That is the goal of this project: to enhance community resilience through a thriving ecosystem, improved livelihoods and social cohesion for more than 800 rural households in Hurungwe district,” he said.

Hurungwe district development coordinator, Mr Trymore Tizora and Magunje legislator Cde Supa Monga Madiro rallied the community to guard jealously the facility which had an anticipated 50-year life span. 

The celebrations ran under the theme: “Leveraging Water for Peace”.