Melinda Kusemachibi
Center for Gender and Community Development in Zimbabwe (CDCGZ) recently distributed
600 fruit tree seedlings in Masvingo district’s wards 10, 11, 12, 33 as part of climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.
CGCDZ Projects Manager Chidaushe Mudadi said the main aim is to promote reforestation in the rural communities.
“We were giving out tree seedlings to community partners that we support in horticulture projects. These community partners number 50-60 per group and we have conducted various training programmes related to climate change to the groups.
“The bottom line is that we want to promote reforestation and adaptation to climate changes as an organization and we have realized that planting of trees is one of the adaptation measures that we have adopted as an organization,” said Mudadi.
CGCDZ has escalated its women empowerment goals for Masvingo through distributing farming inputs as well as training them on growing different vegetables in Mbetu village, Zvamahande, Chipo gardens.
CGCDZ’s objective is to uplift and improve the living conditions of poor and marginalized communities (men, women & youths) with a special focus on women in projects utilizing local resources through economic empowerment, citizen participation and climate change, mitigation and adaptation.
Although CGCDZ is a gender sensitive organization, it focuses mostly on women recognizing that they are the key drivers of economic growth mostly in emerging market countries, Zimbabwe included.
CGCDZ takes community centered and led initiatives as the basis for all interventions and livelihood activities.
Zimbabwe National Tree Planting day is commemorated annually every first Saturday of December. The day is set aside to motivate the nation to plant and conserve trees, enlighten the nation on the importance of forests, enhance biodiversity and household food security.
