By Darlington Gatsi
AS temperatures soar in Mudzi district, more than 250 kilometers from Harare, so does hunger.
Winnet Gopane (17) periodically attends prenatal classes at a local clinic in Mudzi, where pregnant women receive vital education about pregnancy.
This includes guidance on the diet they should follow during and after the pregnancy.
However, Gopane faces a grim reality of being unable to afford the balanced diet, which is recommended by health experts at the clinic.
“This has been a tough period for me as an expecting mother since I cannot afford meals. We are supposed to be eating thrice a day, but I have to do with what is available,” said Gopane.
Expectant and lactating women in Mudzi are experiencing similar hardships due to the ongoing El Nino induced drought.
Shylet Mafigo (29), who has a young child, said the drought has devastated the livelihoods of Mudzi villagers.
“Drought is a serious problem that we have encountered. We harvested close to naught, and this cannot take us throughout the year. Drought and water challenges are severe in this area,” said Mafigo.
The people of Mudzi rely on agriculture for daily sustenance and income by selling crops in the capital Harare.
The El Nino induced drought has impacted crop production, leaving women like Gopane and Mafigo in dire straits.
In a normal season Mafigo sells her crops and vegetables in Mbare Msika, the largest market in Harare, using the proceeds to buy additional food.
However, the limited rainfall this season left water bodies being under replenished, making it difficult for residents to irrigate their farms and gardens.
Mafigo, trapped in Mudzi district without a revenue generating project, laments the difficulty of her situation.
“Life has become difficult. With little rainfall we could not afford to plant vegetables that bring in an income. I am now living on menial jobs that are not reliable but the little that I do I fend for the family,” said Mafigo.
Poor nutrition status.
According to Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee (ZimLAC), 7.6 million people in the country are facing food shortages, with the majority living in the rural areas.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women are particularly affected bearing the El Nino induced famine in Zimbabwe.
The nutritional vulnerability threatens to leave pregnant women like Gopane in rural areas with inadequate diets.
In response, community members in Mudzi have developed a homegrown solution – a meal called “maworesa” meaning “the very best.”
Maworesa is a porridge made of baobab fruit, maize meal, sugar beans, and peanut butter. It is nutritious and suitable for pregnant women and young children.
Gopane says the porridge has proved to be a lifeline for her.
“We live from mawuyu porridge and masawu then later eat sadza. We have the porridge once and this helps me to pass by as a pregnant woman,” she said.
Villagers gather at a nearby homestead to cook the porridge for pregnant, breastfeeding women and children with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
This is among many interventions that the organisation is undertaking to safeguard women and children from the effects of drought.
Due to drought and economic decline in Zimbabwe children are at risk of malnutrition from inadequate access to basic food stuff.
Ministry of health nutritionist for Mudzi district, Tinashe Chirimuuta said the porridge is assisting the Mudzi district in addressing acute malnutrition in young children.
“With Maworesa, it is balanced and nutritious. We encourage mothers to give children at least all food groups a day. That is where the concept came from. This concept consists of four food groups.
“We started it to prevent malnutrition but later we discovered that this porridge can treat children with moderate acute malnutrition. This is why we decided to scale up this project to all the wards in the district.Majority of the households know how to prepare maworesa porridge through the care groups being funded by UNICEF,” said Chirimuuta.
Zimbabwe is among Southern African countries that have been badly hit by the drought. President Emmerson Mnangagwa has since appealed for financial assistance to offset hunger.
While the baobab porridge has offered a lifeline a challenge has arisen in Mudzi district.
“While we are supposed to have porridge three times a week, we now have it once. This is as a result of shortage of maize, sugar and water,” said Gopane.