Food distributions cushion more than 30 thousand people from hunger in Mberengwa

By Caroline Chiimba

In a world where hunger and food insecurity continue to be major challenges for millions of people, it is heartening to see initiatives like the recent food distributions in Mberengwa, Zimbabwe, making a tangible difference in the lives of 39 383 individuals across nine district wards.

Nutrition Action Zimbabwe in partnership with Action Contre LaFaim and the government of Zimbabwe with support from African Risk Capacity through Start Network, implemented a food voucher project in Mberengwa’s nine wards. The beneficiaries received three cycles of food and for each cycle a beneficiary received 750ml of cooking oil, 1.5kg of sugar beans and 10kgs of mealie meal. Food was distributed according to household size without any capping.

The office of the District Development Coordinator supported the project through leading the sensitisation meetings in all wards and supporting the distributions. The project brought relief to the people of Mberengwa who were greatly impacted by the El Nino induced drought and had lost their livestock due unavailability of pastures and drying of water sources.

“I suffered a stroke back in 2010 soon after giving birth and my life hasn’t been the same. My ability to fend for myself and children got severely altered because I cannot work in the field or gardens or even do piece jobs like everyone else to survive. Thus, the food I received today will go a long way, my kids will survive,” Tsungai Gumbo said, with a warm smile on her face.

Jameson Mpofu, a youthful father of three also expressed gratitude over the distributions, citing that as a man who fends for his family through farming, the El-Nino drought dealt him a heavy blow exposing his children and wife to hunger.

“Today my wife and children will have a feast. I have been doing piece jobs here and there but it’s even hard to find work these days. We have been surviving on crumbs, eating once a day and hoping God will intervene, thus today our prayers were answered,” said Jameson while balancing a bag of beans on his shoulder.

Mandevere village head, Sheunesu Chinhamo was very jovial as 45 households from his village received essential food items.

“As a leader, it gives me joy to see smiles all over as people receive their food items. The situation was really bad in my village, most people are trying to survive through piece jobs,” he said.

The impact of this kind of intervention cannot be overstated, as access to nutritious food is a fundamental human right that is often taken for granted in more affluent societies. Without access to an adequate and reliable food supply, individuals and families are left vulnerable to malnutrition, illness, and even death. The consequences of food insecurity are far-reaching, affecting not only the physical health of individuals but also their mental wellbeing and overall quality of life.

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