Story by Theophilus Chuma
Five years after the devastating Cyclone Idai, victims of the natural disaster reflect on the critical interventions by government and development partners that have been pivotal in restoring normalcy.
Gogo Chikuni struggles to walk, taking small steps at a time, as she moves to her kitchen hut.
Life has dealt her a heavy blow after she suffered a stroke right after the devastating Cyclone Idai floods that swept away her homestead in 2019.
As she reflects on the day of the disaster, she is also grateful for the support she has received to repair the damage.
“It was the most difficult moment of my life, but I want to thank the government and MeDRA for the support they gave me. Yes, the disaster happened, but the house that I have now is much better than the one I had before,” she said.
This is a story shared by many in Buhera District’s Ward 15, whose livelihoods were severely impacted by the flooding.
Gogo Caroline Mukushwa tells how the rehabilitation programme implemented by the government through the Methodist Relief and Development Agency (MeDRA) with support from Christian Aid has been important in restoring livelihoods.
She said, “I had lost hope but now I am very confident about the future. My life is now back on track. I am very grateful.”
Step by step, livelihoods are being restored as many are now able to start income-generating projects.
The focus is now on ensuring the community is empowered through resilience programmes.
MeDRA’s Projects Manager Mrs Tariro Mpofu said, “We target to empower communities. Through interactions with communities, we realise that there is lack of knowledge on issues of climate change. So we brought in trainings with support from government to ensure that we raise awareness on climate change.”
“We are happy with the interventions from government and development partners, especially joining hands to restore livelihoods of our people,” Buhera’s District Development Coordinator Mr Freeman Maviza said.
Authorities are now focusing on strengthening resilience programmes through the Build Back Better initiative, one of the strategies being implemented to combat the impact of climate change.
Theophilus Chuma is a writer and reporter for ZBCtv. This story was published on www.zbcnews.co.zw on January 1, 2025.