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Daniel Chigunwe Herald Correspondent
Eight dams in Mt Darwin are providing a source of livelihood to villagers through successful fishing projects that were launched in 2018 by Zanu PF’s provincial member Cde Lickwell Shereni.

The projects which were initiated to curb protein challenges only began by the feeding of dams with about 4000 fingerlings per dam, and have to date seen the proliferation of fish in Chahwanda, Chokuveza, Mangare, Bveke, Gumbeze, Kajokoto, Kanyoka and Pfunyanguwo dams.

Mt Darwin is one of the places in Mashonaland Central province which is perennially affected by water challenges that usually result in poor gardening projects and the death of livestock affecting household food security, especially during the hot summer season.

“In 2018 we decided to try fishing projects in Mt Darwin East where I brought fingerlings which we fed into many of the surrounding dams, with each dam fed with 4000 fingerlings, this was a measure we expected to solve problems of protein which affects almost every household in these parts of the province,” said Cde Shereni.

“Due to hot climatic conditions coupled with erratic rainfall patterns we have remained lagging in vegetable production hence as an alternative measure we came up with these fishing projects which are now sustaining many households through the provision of fish.”

Meanwhile, he also reiterated the call for the need for more boreholes in the district saying several villages are haunted by water challenges, especially during the summer.

“Currently our main call is for Government to drill more boreholes in Mt Darwin, it is one of the major challenges that affect our district with one borehole usually serving more than eight villages at once and the situation usually becomes dire when dams dry up which leads to a high population livestock loss due to diseases which emerge with the scarcity of water”.