By Edgar Gweshe
Rachel Mutongo from Chimanimani in the Eastern part of Zimbabwe is a peasant farmer who used to rely on a banana farming project for a living.
Being a single mother, she would use proceeds from the sale of her bananas to cater for her family needs.
Banana farming was a source of livelihood not only for Mutongo but many other women in the Chimanimani area.
When Cyclone Idai struck the area in 2019, Mutongo and many other women who
used to rely on banana farming had their source of livelihood destroyed due to the devastating effects of the floods.
Cyclone Idai resulted in the death of an estimated 340 people in Zimbabwe with Chimanimani district being among the worst affected areas. Around 300 people remain unaccounted for.
On top of having to cope with the horrors of Cyclone Idai, Mutongo and a number of women in Chimanimani have to face the sad reality that their sources of livelihoods have been destroyed- and yet some of them, as the sole breadwinners, have to put food on the table.
The saying “Life goes on” has proved to be a harsh reality for Mutongo and many other women from Chimanimani.
After the devastating impacts of Cyclone Idai, the load on their shoulders is just too heavy.
The poverty brought about after the loss of her livelihood has had devastating effects on Mutongo’s family. She had to bear the pain of seeing her 13 year old daughter dropping out of school after having been impregnated.
“For me Cyclone Idai was a double tragedy. My house was destroyed while my banana project that used to be my sole source of income was wiped away by the floods. I was left to start all over again with nothing to help me get a new start. My plea is to get assistance to help restart my banana project. I used to earn a living from the banana project but at the moment I am struggling to provide for my family and pay
school fees.
After Cyclone Idai, my daughter who was in secondary school (about 13 years) dropped from school after she was impregnated and gave birth at home. Most of these teenage pregnancies were as a result of the poverty that followed the devastating effects of Cyclone Idai. My wish is to live a normal life after Cyclone Idai,” said Mutongo.
Another survivor of Cyclone Idai, Takemore Mufuya carries the burden of emotional and physical pain after the devastating floods.
She remembers with sadness how her husband (who used to be the family’s sole breadwinner) and son were swept away by Cyclone Idai.
The sight of her husband and son being swept away continues to haunt her and to add to this, she has to cater for her family needs and has resorted to menial jobs usually reserved for men to earn a living and put food on the table.
” My husband and my six year year old child were swept away by the floods and up to now, they have not been accounted for. We hear news of bodies that were found in Mozambique and I don’t know if my child and husband are among those people.
The house where we used to rent was swept away by Cyclone Idai. My health was also affected and I am now suffering from high blood pressure and my mental health has also been affected. I have to
cope with the stress of providing for my family. Soon after Cyclone Idai, I had to do menial jobs yet I had not fully recovered from the wounds that I sustained during the floods. At one time I had to venture into artisanal mining to raise money for school fees and provide for my family’s needs,” said Mufuya.
Although she appreciates government’s food aid programmes, Mufuya’s wish is to be empowered to do projects that will help her sustain her family.
“Our plea is for empowerment to do self help projects because we can not continue to be a charity case and only wait for aid. To people out there I want to let you know that climate change is real and has devastating effects. In my case, I am now living with high blood pressure. I have
wounds that I sustained on my legs and can no longer walk distances. I am no longer able to do duties that I used to do in the past but since I am the only breadwinner, I have no other option.
After Cyclone Idai, we have had to live with our harsh realities but I think counseling services can also help our situation. It’s so hard to forget about what happened and sometimes when things get tough I start to think of my late husband. Even when I meet young children, I sometimes start to think of my late son. To those that have not yet encountered a disaster such as Cyclone Idai, I urge you to take heed of early warnings and try to avoid disaster,” said a tearful Mufuya.
Women in Chimanimani continue to feel the gendered impacts of Cyclone Idai almost five years after the disaster struck
the area amid calls for the government of Zimbabwe to accelerate climate justice programmes in the area.
Research has shown that climate change perpetuates structural inequalities between women and men. This is true for a place like Chimanimani where women rely on climate sensitive work like agriculture for a living.
In Chimanimani, women depend on, yet have less access to natural resources and have to bear the burden of securing food and water.
Youths have also not been spared from the devastating effects of Cyclone Idai and were left starring a bleak future following the floods that hit Chimanimani in 2019.
Cuthbert Takudzwa Mtisi, a youth from Chimanimani narrates the sad events of his colleagues being swept away and how his dream of becoming a renowned musician was shattered by Cyclone Idai.
“Some of our colleagues were swept away by Cyclone Idai and we continue to bear the pain. Some of the places where we used to do our music performances were destroyed and this affected our careers. I believe music can be used as a tool for spreading knowledge on climate change disasters. I penned a song called “Chenjerai” (Beware) to raise awareness and urge communities to be aware of the risks of climate change and flooding while calling upon the government to ensure assistance for victims of Cyclone Idai,” said Mtisi.
A Youth Climate Justice Activist from Chimanimani, Hilda Tendekai appealed for income generating projects to help youths restore their livelihoods after Cyclone Idai.
“Our lives were negatively affected in so many ways. Some of our colleagues were into farming but after Cyclone Idai, they can no longer afford to do their farming projects. Drug and substance abuse is now on the increase as youths have been idle for a very long time. As the youths, we are appealing for income generating projects to assist us to earn a living post Cyclone Idai. Some youths have formed organizations and are now acting as climate change champions and assisting with information dissemination and these initiatives deserve support as well,” said Tendeka.
According to the Network for Environmental and Climate Justice (NECJ), a human rights based approach is critical in addressing the effects of climate change in Chimanimani post Cyclone Idai.
“It is essential to note that efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change should conform to human rights norms and principles. These include the rights to participation and information, transparency, accountability, equity, and non- discrimination. In a nutshell, the human rights framework must be part of solutions to climate change.
A human rights-based approach entails for example, the promotion of alternative energy sources, forest conservation or tree-planting projects, resettlement schemes while ensuring affected individuals and communities must participate, without
discrimination, in the design and implementation of these projects,” noted the NECJ.
The Climate Action Network Zimbabwe (CAN) said there is need to ensure fair and equitable recovery for all communities affected by climate-related disasters.
CAN Coordinator, Wellington Madumira said vulnerable groups and communities ought to be prioritised post climate change related disasters such as Cyclone Idai. Engaging the affected communities in decision making is equally important, according to Madumira.
“Resources and aid should be distributed fairly to those most affected. Marginalized groups should receive the support they need and affected communities should be
involved in recovery planning. Their voices should be central to the decision-making process. Affected communities should involved in assessing plans for rebuilding not just infrastructure, but also social and economic systems, ensuring they are resilient and equitable.
Ultimately, a comprehensive assessment must prioritize social equity and inclusion to create a more just and sustainable future in the face of climate change,” said Madumira.
The Provincial Minister for Manicaland, Misheck Mugadza said government is continuing with efforts to assist victims of Cyclone Idai.
The assistance, he said, is in the form of construction of houses for displaced families, building of schools and hospitals
as well as rehabilitation of damaged roads.
He said that the government efforts are based on consultations with the affected communities to ascertain areas of intervention.
