Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) was in Goromonzi District Ward 11 for a survey feedback meeting with the community and solution holders.
Edward Kapodogo shared the meeting objectives highlighting that this was a platform for sharing survey findings so that they inform development initiatives by solution holders. He also stressed that the meeting was not a fault-finding exercise nor was it one that should be used for political point scoring, as community development benefits all irrespective of political affiliation.
Gillian Chinzete VISET Programmes Manager then gave a presentation of survey findings, noting that the respondents mainly were middle aged women who earned their living through market gardening and vending. The priority issues raised included poor road infrastructure, lack of water and the need for value addition as they were suffering significant post-harvest losses.
The Councillor for ward 11 Mr. Chingware said that his ward was one of the largest in the district with over 50 villages and as such, he had then split it into 4 administrative regions run by committees for better coordination. He bemoaned the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic saying that since 2020 it had adversely affected community consultations through the restrictive measures. He informed the meeting that some of the issues raised in the survey were being addressed, such as the issue of market structures at Juru growth point. He was hopeful that Goromonzi Rural District Council (GRDC) would be able to address the issue of poor roads in this financial year through the devolution funds.
The Councilor however also implored residents to be more involved in community affairs, saying that there was a building that was adjacent to Kadyamadare Primary School that could be readily used as a community center or one for storing and selling their produce in return for constructing a compensatory classroom block for the school, but that proposal had found no takers amongst the community.
On the issue of water provision, Councillor Chingware said it was regrettable that youths were engaging in unregulated gold panning activities in rivers, leading to siltation and he was appealing for solar powered boreholes as well as water pumps to be able to draw water for both irrigation and household use. Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) was in Goromonzi District Ward 11 for a survey feedback meeting between the community and solution holders.
Source: VISET
