Villagers partner DDF in road project
Emmah Chinyamutangira Manicaland Correspondent
VILLAGERS in Marange have partnered the District Development Fund (DDF) to finance the completion of a 9,8km road that connects Bambazonke Business Centre and Bernhiwa Primary School.
The construction of the road was first financed by villagers who raised about $4 500 before DDF came in with $35 000 to ensure the completion of the rehabilitation works.
Speaking at the ground breaking ceremony last Friday, project chairman Mr David Ndagurwa said the rehabilitation of the road would benefit hundreds of people who usually struggled to reach their destinations due to poor state of the road which often hindered public transport and other vehicles to operate in the area for the past decades.
As villagers, in August we made contributions and raised $4 500 towards road construction and DDF came to our rescue and funded $35 000 to complete the whole project which started on January 29 this year,” he said.
He said the community had lined up more projects that needed funding and implored Government to assist especially in regards with construction of a school, clinic and a dam. Mr Ndagurwa said villagers were struggling to access schools and health services because the facilities were far from the village. He added that the community had already secured land for the school as well as the bricks needed for the construction of the dam.
We already have a stand for school construction and also bricks for the dam construction which is nearby. But money is needed to buy necessary equipment to start the projects,” he said.
Zanu-PF provincial vice chairperson Cde Dorothy Mabika applauded the villagers for the projects they were engaged in to develop the area.
She said public transport operators were pulling out of the rural routes due to the poor state of roads. We appreciate the efforts of the villagers and stakeholders who are contributing to the development of Chikonzo Village. I assure you that Government will construct clinics and schools in the villages that were being deprived to increase access these services, she said.
Villagers expressed gratitude at the timely intervention by the DDF which had seen the resumption of public transport services following the commencement of works in January.
Mrs Edina Chikonzo, a villager, said: For years, the road was very bad there was no way for vehicles to pass through our village. Vehicles used to park 8km away from our village and we would walk the distance to our homesteads. We even had to carry coffins from Shavambiri village to the graveyards which is about 10km away from the tarred road because the vehicles could not pass.”
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