Tellzim Reporter
ZAKA – A total of 242 people in Zaka Central were conferred with certificates in bread baking last weekend at the first year anniversary celebration ceremony held at Murerekwa Primary School in ward 8.
The bakery programme which started last year with very few people has now grown to 29 groups dotted around the constituency in wards 8,14,15,19 and 34.
Ward 8 leads the pack with 18 groups, ward 14 and 15 have one group each while ward 18 has two groups. Ward 19 has three groups while ward 34 has four groups.
The bakery project is being spearheaded by ward 8 councilor Tererei Tererai and Zaka Central women’s league representative in Zanu PF Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) Aleta Makomeke who is a home economics teacher by profession with support from other community members in the diaspora.
Speaking at the event, Makomeke said it was her wish that women in Zaka Central are all involved in developmental programmes and work to alleviate poverty through home grown solutions.
“It is my wish that no woman in Zaka Central constituency should be left behind in any economic development programme. lt is my wish that we take everybody on board so that no homestead languishes in poverty. It is Zanu PF’s desire to improve livelihoods in line with vision 2030 and beyond.
“We advocate for improved livelihoods and sustainable economic development programmes. We as Zanu PF cannot afford to leave anyone behind because we believe that we all as Zimbabwean citizens have the responsibility to transform lives ‘Nokuti nyika inovakwa nevene vayo’,” said Makomeke.
She urged all other constituencies to copy from Zaka Central and implement the programme in their respective constituencies so that it benefits the whole of Zaka district thereby contributing to the country’s economic development.
“We also feel obliged not only to work towards the attainment of vision 2030 but to also as Zaka district make a significant contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). We in light of that are already working on modalities to up-scale the project. We encourage all Zaka district constituencies to embrace the project so that we can eventually speak with one voice as a district.
“We already have training modalities in place for the benefit of those who want to engage in the programme within the district and outside it. We invite all stakeholders to assist in cash or kind as we engage in up-scaling mode,” said Makomeke.
Councillor Tererai said he is indebted to the community that embraced the idea of bakeries which he said they copied from Gutu and implemented in ward 8 before spreading to other wards in the constituency.
“I am proud to be working with people in my ward. They embraced the programme which we copied from Gutu and now we are the best. We call upon all those who are yet to be part of the groups to join as we move in to alleviate poverty in Zaka,” said Tererai.
Also present at the event were central committee members Retired Brigadier General Livingstone Chineka and Maina Mandava.
The bread is being sold locally and other groups are already supplying retail shops in Jerera mainly Sunrise shop.