On the 9^th of April 2021 the Nyandeni community celebrated their years of hard work, commitment and sacrifices through the official opening of the gleaming and satisfactorily full Mzetshe Dam. Its capacity to carry so much water (maximum level) without breaking speaks of the meticulous work that has been done by the Nyandeni community. Of course they would not have been able to accomplish all that they were able to do without the assistance from Masakhaneni Projects Trust in partnership with CAFOD. Technical and financial assistance through these helped galvanize communal spirit. Indeed what the Nyandeni community did is expressed by the Tanzanian proverb/ adage that highlights that “two ants do not fail to pull one grasshopper”. A whole community particularly women have seen to fruition a project that stands to benefit not only the Nyandeni village but all the nine villages in the ward.

It should be borne in mind that it was not a walk in the park for the Nyandeni community to be able to construct the dam from scratch. One villager hinted that initially some community members did not envision the beginning of the project as something that would eventually benefit them in many ways. Availability of water has always been a challenge in Matabeleland South and Gwanda in particular. Livestock especially cattle have been lost due to the shortage of water while women and girls walk more than five kilometers in search of it. Initially dubbed as ‘ichibi’ (pond) by others, the project grew to what today is referred to as Mzetshe dam. A source of pride for the Nyandeni village.

Women and youth were at the forefront of the work being accustomed to the rigors that come with failure to access water in the family especially during the previous dry spell. This was against the norm that physical labour involving construction is usually viewed as a man’s job. Apart from easing the water challenge in the village, the dam will be instrumental to watering the garden project which is a source of livelihoods for the village 6 community. Livestock from the ward will also benefit immensely as the availability of water means that they can survive drought periods without having to travel 5km away to Lumene river. Apart from these benefits, the process of constructing and maintaining the dam has forged a culture of solidarity and productivity among the community members. Women and youth have been afforded the opportunity to take charge and lead in positions that have been predominantly for men. The success of the dam has been an indicator that when women are given the chance to lead, they have the capacity to bring positive change in the community.  The vision is to expand the dam. The planting of fish during dam celebration signaled plans of growing the dam project into diverse income generating projects. Apart from benefitting from water for livestock and garden purposes the dam is set breed fish which will help the women and the youth in the village to boost their economic standing. Efficient management of the fish project is likely to enhance the nutritional value of the food consumed in the village.

 

The Village chair implored women to courageously fulfill the tasks that lay ahead of them in terms of integrating the youth into developmental projects. Likened to “izikhukhukazi ezifukamela amatsiyane” (hens brooding chicks), they are to propagate the seeds of harmony and collectivism among the youth. Government officials were also urged to play a significant role in helping communities in community initiated programs. It is hoped that the dam will be expanded through working together of the community, partner organizations like Masakhaneni as well as the council.