Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) was at Kamudyariwa Primary School, Ward 11 Goromonzi District for an Accountability Lab Community Consultative meeting.
The meeting saw women and youth informal traders, villagers and traditional leadership in attendance. Edward Kapodogo outlined the objective of the meeting, which was to accord community members a chance to air their views on their developmental aspirations that they would like to see happening in their communities. He said for development to be impactful, it must be inclusive, particularly in light of the devolution thrust by government, and so the community should make full use of the opportunity availed by the platform.
Participants to the meeting spoke on water challenges in their community which was inhibiting their horticultural enterprises, they suggested having a pump to draw water from the nearby dam for irrigation and drilling of boreholes for household use. Other challenges included the lack of properly developed marketplaces with secure storage, transport challenges owing to the road network, the need for skills development so they can value add their products and the need for financial institutions within their ward or district that can advance loans at concessionary rates.
Following submissions, the VISET Programmes Manager Ms. Gillian Chinzete said that these submissions would form part of the data set to be used for coming up with the survey that would be administered in the ward, following which findings would be aggregated for presentation to solution holders who would then respond to the issues raised. Gillian emphasized that interventions at policy level required that they be evidence based in order to be effective.
Headman Matemai acknowledged the women traders who were in the majority saying this was commendable as they were the ones directly affected in development issues. He also thanked the VISET collaboration with development partners, pledging his continued support to the interventions being carried out throughout the district.
Source: VISET
