Michael Magoronga ,Midlands Correspondent
For *Vimbai Muto (13), the trauma of surviving a rape attack has not left her. Vimbai is one of the many women and girls in the Wozoli community in Silobela who used to venture into the bushes in search of firewood, water and other necessities for household chores.
The eldest daughter in a family dominated by male members, including two brothers and her father, Vimbai is tasked with doing household chores like cooking, fetching water and firewood among other chores.
On the fateful day, she survived a horrible attack by illegal gold miners popularly known as omakorokoza who dominate the bushes of Silobela, a gold rich area she hails from.
“Three men suddenly emerged from the bush and grabbed me. I however, managed to scream and two men who heard my screams appeared and the omakorokoza fled into the bush. That is how I survived,” narrated Vimbai.
Her case is not unique but a pointer to the barrage of hazards faced by girls and women in the community as they go about their day to day duties. In the same area, two herd men were arrested after they ganged up to sexually abuse a 14-year-old girl who was fetching firewood. The matter is still before the courts.
Sexual and physical abuse as well as wildlife attacks are the most dominant forms of hazards faced by these vulnerable groups in their day to day lives.
The installation of biogas digesters by Zibagwe Rural District Council has however, proven to be a panacea to these problems as it does not only bring smiles to the faces of women and girls but also goes a long way in combating climate change.
The rural authority in partnership with Gender Links, has since constructed a biogas digester in each of its 33 wards in Zhombe and Silobela.
Zibagwe RDC has so far installed 32 biogas digesters in its 33 wards across the district out of a target of 48 that will benefit more than 2 000 people, mainly girls and women.
The programme comes as a major relief to women and girls who are usually at the receiving end of the effects of climate change through hazards associated with walking long distances to fetch firewood.
“I no longer need to travel into the bush as I have easy access to cooking gas at the school. This has come as a major relief to most of us girls and our mothers in the community,” said a smiling Vimbai.
Zibagwe RDC Gender focal person, Mrs Grace Nyikavaranda said the project came at a time when the district had been recording increased cases of sexual abuse of women as they ventured into the forests for either water or firewood.
“As a district, we have been receiving more cases of sexual and physical abuse targeting women and girls as a result of them going into the bush either for water or firewood. We’re also aware that our district has a lot of illegal gold panners who are in our bushes where they meet these women and girls and abuse them,” she explained.
Cases of gender-based violence had been on the increase while the rampant cutting down of trees for cooking purposes had become problematic.
“We also recorded increased cases of school drop outs as girls were made to travel long distances to fetch firewood before going to school. Some were dropping out after being sexually abused in the bushes and impregnated so these are all challenges that we were facing as a district,” she said.
The cases dropped after the installation of these biogas digesters which are installed in strategic places and are benefiting the community in more ways than one.
“These biogas plants are being installed at schools, clinics and community centers where they benefit the whole community. Besides being clean sources of energy, which uses waste that is locally available and cheap, the biogas digester is useful for cooking and reducing the cutting down of trees in the process. So, for starters, we have safeguarded the lives of women and girls by saving them from travelling long distances to fetch firewood,” she said.
Mrs Nyikavaranda said the biogas projects are also producing bio-fertilisers.
“There are income generating projects for those who are in charge of producing excess gas which they sell to the community.
They also produce bio-fertiliser as a by -product which can be used for school feeding programs and nutritional gardens. This is why we’re encouraging every member to start a nutrition garden so that they can use the fertiliser in their gardens,” said Mrs Nyikavaranda.
She said clinics are also using gas for lighting and refrigeration of their medicines.
Mr Washington Zhakata
“Expecting mothers who would be camped at the clinics are also some of the major beneficiaries as they no longer have to look for firewood for cooking. They’re now making use of the gas,” she said.
Mrs Nyikavaranda said efforts to reduce deforestation are on course as women no longer have to cut down trees, which goes a long way in curbing climate change. Zibagwe RDC Chief Executive Officer Mr Farayi Machaya said the protection of trees was of paramount importance.
“As the rate of deforestation is increasing in Zibagwe RDC, communities of the biogas digesters will eliminate the use of firewood.
There’s also a reduction of carbon emissions as biogas has a lower carbon footprint. Proceeds from sale of carbon credits go directly to the participating communities who will be assisted by the council to venture into various socio-economic projects including road rehabilitation, construction of schools, clinics, procurement of ambulances, among other projects that the community will identify,” he said.
Gender Links regional manager Ms Priscila Maphosa said her organisation will continue supporting the Government in improving the lives of women and youths.
“We will continue working with the Government in promoting gender-sensitive projects to uplift the women and youths. This project is meant to promote clean energy and reduce cases of deforestation and gender-based violence associated with women as they go through their day to day chores,” she said.
Ms Maphosa said Zibagwe RDC was the first to introduce the project being undertaken under the theme, “Promoting Gender Inclusivity; promoting local economic development.”
She said the empowerment project was meant to eradicate poverty as well as drug and substance abuse among other social ills.
Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo hailed the project saying his ministry was in full support and would drill boreholes to ensure that women and girls do not have a reason to travel long distances or venture into the bushes.
Minister Moyo said the project was in line with President Mnangagwa’s vision of using locally available resources to solve challenges. He said as a result of the project, the community now has electricity at absolutely no cost.
“Women do most of the chores and they meet a lot of things in their line of work. With this project, women will not travel long distances to fetch firewood. It will also reduce deforestation and bring about the desired change that benefits women,” said Minister Moyo.
He said the Government would continue drilling boreholes that are connected to solar power to ensure women do not travel long distances to fetch water.
“Now that we have solved the firewood challenges, I urge all councils to use devolution funds towards the drilling of boreholes so that women can get water without travelling long distances,” he said.
Minister Moyo said the Government was also drilling boreholes under the Presidential Borehole Scheme. He said the proportional representation model was meant to have more women in councils so that they can be involved in making key decisions that tackle their challenges. Director Climate Change Management Department in the Ministry of Environment,
Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Mr Washington Zhakata explained how the biogas plants are useful in the protection of forests and enhancing carbon trading.
“Each tree sequesters carbon dioxide and by not cutting down trees, it means more carbon dioxide is being sequestered by the trees to enhance the increase in carbon trades that is quantified by the number of trees saved. So, by doing so we’re not only mitigating against climate change but also increasing the amount of our carbon credits,” said Mr Zhakata.