Catholic Entity “on the ground in Zimbabwe” to Address “looming crisis” of Food Shortage

They regret the fact that instead of fields full of maize and other crops ready to be harvested in the Bulawayo region of the Southern African country, “there are vast swathes of stunted or dead plants.”

In the August 23 report, the leadership of Trόcaire says that the people of bidi village are the most affected by the impact of the climate change following an increase in the country’s temperatures that have escalated to approximately 2 degrees Celsius over the past century.

One of the “long-term projects” that Trόcaire has facilitated for the people of God in Bidi village is Mopane Worms, an initiative that entails the rearing of large edible caterpillars known to be rich in protein.

In the report, Hleziphi Nkomo, 43, lauds the initiative as a good source of financial income.

“Mopane worms are actually the large edible caterpillars of a species of emperor moth that feed on the leaves of the Mopane tree in this area. They are seen as a delicacy and fetch good money in the capital Harare,” Mr. Nkomo, a beneficiary of the initiative, has been quoted as saying. 

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Mopane worms, he adds, “are also a good source of protein here. We have an ongoing project supported by Trόcaire that has enabled us to make the most of this natural resource.”  

In the report, Mr. Nkomo explains how they go about obtaining the caterpillars. He says, “We are able to harvest the worms from the Mopane trees twice a year. Once they are cooked and dried, we have been supported to package them and sell them direct to markets.”

Through the process, Mr. Nkomo continues, “we are able to make more money for ourselves rather than it going to a middle-man.” 

“The money we make is so important as it means we have money to buy essentials for our families like cooking oil, salt, grains and school books for the children,” the inhabitant of the Bidi village in Zimbabwe says.

In the August 23 report, officials of the Irish Catholic entity say that the people of bidi village appreciate the initiative, without which, they say, their situation “would be so much worse”.

“There is no doubt that the coming months will be extremely difficult for the people of Bidi but without the initiatives funded by donations from Ireland, north and south, the people of the village say the outlook would be so much worse,” officials of Trόcaire say.

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.