Project Benefits & Impact
Dam Rehabilitation Programme
Rehabilitation of damaged assetssuch as dams, dip tanks are done in response to damages caused by disasters such as Cyclones. Dam rehabilitation/ creation restores water availability and access within communities in disaster areas and creation off nutrition gardens and small to medium irrigations increase crop production and income generation for household, hence strengthening their resilience to food shortages and harsh economic environment.
Nutrition Gardens
MDTC assists communities to set up nutrition gardens around the rehabilitated/ created dams and other water sources that last for longer periods in the dry season. The gardens assist beneficiaries to improve their nutrition and health and most importantly incomes. The improved nutrition assists the communities to be resilient against prevalent disease while incomes help families to send their children to school.
To reduce human labour experienced by women and children in ferrying water, MDTC supported solarized pumping systems that convey water for infield watering as well as community benefit.
LIVESTOCK DEVELOPMENT
The Mwenezi Development Training Centre promotes livestock development with as a mitigatory measure against effects of disasters such as drought. The interventions target vulnerable members of the community. MDTC identifies with communities the beneficiaries; take them through transformational trainings and livestock management principles and marketing orientation. This is to empower them to management and utilize livestock for improving their livelihoods. Livestock production groups are established and linked to markets to ensuring quick returns. Production of marginal feeds is promoted which are much cheaper for the less privileged to manage. Improved breeds are introduced to improve prolificacy.
DIP TANKS
Through the Productive Asset Creation Programme (PAC), funded by the WFP dip tanks are also rehabilitated or constructed making dipping facilities accessible within walkable distances by livestock. This improved the health of the animals which ensures better returns for the farmers. Livestock Development Committees are setup to lead in the construction of the dip tanks and management of the facility there after ensuring sustainability of the project.Mwambe, Magomana and Murove dip tank were constructed benefitting1504 households in Mwenezi. Two dip tanks in Beitbridge, Chamnangana and Jopembe were rehabilitated and fitted with solar powered pumping system the veterinary department assisted the community with technical knowhow during construction.
Three livestock feed finance clubs realized improved incomes income from livestock through contract market linkages with abattoirs, Montana and Sabie meats
Irrigation schemes
Mwenezi Development Training Centre with support from WFP and CESVI supported capacity building and transformational trainings for irrigation management committees, farmers and extension staff from the irrigation schemes. Trainings facilitated transformational trainings that include: Transformational leadership, Farming as a business, agronomy, financial management and value chain development for irrigation produce.
Impact
- There was an increase in area planted due to improved water conveyance.
- Increased production yields e.g sugar bean seed – Average yield 0.5 t/Ha to 1.4 t/Ha
- Improved asset security.
- Improved scheme governance and asset ownership.
- Stakeholder coordination and improved relations between extension workers, input suppliers and farmers.
- Market oriented production, with adoption of one contract farming with private sector (Seedco).
Vocational skills training
The organization has managed to register with Ministry of Higher Education and this has added value and credibility to the courses being offered by the organization and 15 trainees have been registered for trade tests.
Carpentry training – Building training is conducted by MDTC to rural youths, men and women in Mwenezi with funding from Donor partners. The approach used is the village training called insitu training where course participants are trained as groups in their villages. This has an advantage that as adults some with family responsibilities financial limitations can afford paying for such trainings.
Entrepreneurship Development and value addition
Capacity building interventions
