In the community

Umhambi Children’s Fountain of Hope donates sanitary equipments to Hwange schools

Published

3 years ago

February 13, 2023

BY BRENDA NCUBE

Driven by the passion to see every girl child getting equal education, Umhambi Children’s Fountain of Hope (UCFH) on Friday donated seven sewing machines and sanitary materials to Hwange communities, amid revelations that some desperate girls resort to using tree leaves and cow dung during their menstrual cycles.

The community funded charity organization,UCFH gathered 21 women from Chimbombo Village in the outskirts of Victoria Falls and took them through practical tutorials on operating a sewing machine and sewing of reusable sanitary pads.

This comes after a realization that most girls in rural communities miss out on school during their monthly periods due to lack of proper sanitary wear.

On the sidelines of the training UCFH director, Misheck Ngulube revealed that the project sought to bridge the gap and provide a fair chance of education to girls in rural communities.

“Most of the women in rural areas cannot afford to buy sanitary pads which cost about US$3,” he said.

“This becomes worse for girl children because they are quite shy to ask for money to buy pads.

“Some of the girls are being taken care of by grandparents who also can’t afford to buy pads for them,so we believe this project will change their lives.”

Ngulube added that the opportunity meant that they will also be able to attend all school days every month.

“Most of these girls avoid going to school during their periods because they fear messing themselves up and the embarrassment that it comes with.”

Such trends of children failing to go to school due to lack of sanitary pads like those at Chimbombo, are playing out in most communities in Matebeleland North Province, which is largely rural, contributing to a low pass rate obtained every year in the region.

According to the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee report for 2022, it says that the province has at least 1.4 percent of household heads who have attained tertiary education and 0.3 percent who attained A’level.

From a population of 827 626, according to the latest census, only 53.3 percent of the population had attained primary education whilst 13% did not attain any form of education.

One of the participants in the training, Nozithelo Ncube, echoed similar sentiments with Ngulube that most girls in rural communities cannot afford sanitary pads and has resulted in them missing out on education.

“Most girls end up using old clothes, cow dung and leaves in extreme cases during their periods,” Ngulube revealed.

“With this project they will be able to attend school all day because they can’t go to school without pads.”

Another participant in the training, Sihleziphi Phiri, said that they are looking to expand their sewing project to making uniforms after realizing that some parents go as far as Bulawayo to buy uniforms for their children.

“We are looking at this as the genesis of women emancipation in Chimbombo village. From here, we will start sewing uniforms. No child should go to school without a uniform.

“Some parents would go as far as Victoria Falls and Bulawayo to buy uniforms, which is expensive. Now we will be able to supply schools around the Chimbombo community with school uniforms.

Our catchment area is Chimbombo Primary, Mizper Primary, Ndlovu Secondary School , Simakade Primary and Bethesda Primary”

She added that such projects will emancipate women in the community in the sense that they will not solely depend on men for their upkeep.

“This is an income generating project for us women. We won’t need to look up to our husbands to buy uniforms or to look for donations.”

“We were taught to catch a fish and we will pass this to our children. We will also teach our grade six and sevens as young as they are so that they grow up with skills that can be their back up in case they don’t find employment.”

The women welcomed the project saying that they will no longer have to move to urban areas to become domestic workers, instead they will continue sewing even clothes for resale from their communities.

Hwange

Hwange Central finally receives long-awaited CDF funds

Published

4 days ago

January 7, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Hwange Central constituency has finally received its long-awaited Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocation, marking the first disbursement since 2022, Member of Parliament for the area, Fortune Daniel Molokele, has confirmed.

In a statement, Molokele said an amount of ZiG 1.3 million was deposited last week into a special bank account set up exclusively to administer CDF funds for the constituency. The disbursement falls under the 2024 national budget, following confirmation from the Parliament of Zimbabwe that no CDF disbursement will be made under the 2023 national budget.

He further noted that there is still no clarity on when CDF allocations under the 2025 and 2026 national budgets will be released.

“With this development, our local CDF Committee will, during the coming week, initiate the process of rolling out the approved projects,” said Molokele.

Priority Wards and Projects

The initial phase of implementation will cover five wards, namely Wards 1, 4, 5, 6 and 14, with the remaining wards expected to benefit under the next CDF disbursement.

According to minutes from a public consultation meeting held on 13 April 2024 at St Ignatius Primary School in Hwange, the community unanimously prioritised solar-powered boreholes with JoJo tanks and fenced nutritional gardens as the flagship project for the 2024 CDF cycle.

The project is set to be implemented at the following locations:

Ward 1: Chibondo
Ward 4: Baghdad
Ward 5: Empumalanga
Ward 6: Phase Four
Ward 14: Ngumija

Other proposals discussed at the meeting included the construction of an Advanced Level laboratory science facility at Nechilisa Secondary School and the refurbishment of Nengasha Stadium, but these were deferred in favour of addressing water and food security.

CDF Committee in Place

The public meeting also elected a new 2023–2028 CDF Committee, comprising:

Alice Phiri (Trade Unions, Women and Local Communities)
Luka Katako (Traditional Leaders and Faith-Based Leaders)
Bryan Nyoni (Youth and Local Communities)
Shonipai Muleya (Finance and Accounting)

Francisca Ncube was nominated as the National Assembly representative, while Teresa Kabondo will represent the constituency in the Senate.

The CDF bank account signatories and procurement committee members include Molokele, Luka Katako, Thulani Moyo and Alice Phiri.

Funding Clarifications

Although earlier discussions indicated that the 2024 allocation would include outstanding funds from 2023—bringing the total to an estimated USD100 000, to be disbursed in ZiG at the interbank rate—the Speaker of Parliament later clarified that the 2023 CDF allocation was no longer available.

“As a result, each constituency ended up receiving ZiG 1.3 million, which was meant to be equivalent to USD50 000,” Molokele explained, adding that the approved projects were subsequently endorsed by the relevant Parliamentary committee.

He also confirmed that no CDF proposals have yet been submitted for 2025 and 2026.

Residents seeking further information have been advised to contact CDF Committee Secretary Thulani Moyo on 078 648 3659.

Molokele said at least two public feedback meetings will be held once implementation begins, to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of the funds.

In the community

Two artisanal miners die in Umguza mine shaft collapse

Published

2 weeks ago

December 25, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

Two artisanal miners have died following the collapse of a flooded mine shaft at Cement Side in Umguza District, ZBC has reported.

The incident occurred early Tuesday morning after heavy water ingress caused the shaft to give way, trapping the two men underground.

When rescue teams arrived at the scene, officers from the Bulawayo Fire and Ambulance Services Department, assisted by local volunteers, were leading recovery efforts.

A survivor of the incident, Khulumani Nkomo, described the terrifying moments leading up to the collapse.

“We heard a loud cracking sound as we reached the ground, then water started rushing in. The two were behind us, and the shaft just closed, trapping the other one in the tunnel,” he said.

Nkomo added that attempts to rescue the trapped miners proved futile.

“We tried to dig with our hands and tools, but the water kept coming. By the time help arrived, it was already too late.”

A brother of one of the deceased miners said the family is struggling to cope with the loss, revealing that the victim was only 19 years old.

In the community

Foot and mouth disease outbreak in Mat North

Published

1 month ago

December 9, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NIZBERT MOYO

The provincial Veterinary Department has urged farmers to comply with livestock movement regulations following an outbreak of the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in some parts of Matabeleland North.

Acting provincial veterinarian Gwinyai Zhandire confirmed the outbreak to Southern Eye, saying the government has instituted movement controls, vaccination and active surveillance in the affected areas.

“There are some dip tanks affected in the Nyamandlovu area,” Zhandire said.

“The government has instituted movement controls and vaccination, and we are conducting surveillance.

“Farmers are encouraged to observe and comply with livestock movement regulations to prevent further spread.”

He highlighted that the rainy season increases the risk of other livestock diseases.

With tick populations on the rise, farmers should be vigilant against tick-borne illnesses such as Anaplasmosis (Gall Sickness), Theileriosis (January Disease), Ehrlichiosis (Heartwater) and Babesiosis (Redwater).

“Weekly dipping is encouraged to prevent transmission between animals,” Zhandire said.

He emphasised the importance of routine vaccination against other seasonal threats, including anthrax and lumpy skin diseases.

The outbreak has also affected farmers in the Umguza area, who have similarly been directed to adhere to animal movement restrictions.

Foot and mouth disease is a highly contagious viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including cattle, sheep and goats.

The disease is characterised by fever and the development of painful sores or blisters in the mouth and on the feet, often leading to severe lameness and a drop in productivity.

The virus spreads easily through direct contact between animals, as well as via contaminated equipment, vehicles and feed.

The disease can result in significant economic losses in the livestock industry due to trade restrictions and animal health costs.
Source: Southern Eye