Gwanda, Zimbabwe - July 25, 2024

The Zimbabwean government has launched a project in cooperation with local community to mitigate the loss brought by drought-induced livestock deaths.

More than 9,000 cattle deaths have been recorded in Zimbabwe, and at least 1.4 million more cattle are at high risk due to the El Nino-induced drought, according to the country's Livelihoods Assessment Report 2024 released earlier this month.

The government has responded by launching a national livestock drought mitigation project, which targets villagers in the hard-hit, Matabeleland South Province.

The local government has distributed stock feed and drilled boreholes at a communal feeding pen for the severely affected cattle. At full capacity, the pen can hold up to 400 animals. Once they are back in good health, the owners have an option to take them back or sell them through a centralized auction.

The project has garnered strong support from the local community, as livestock farming is the lifeblood of the region.

The government is planning to extend the project to another district in the drought-stricken region to mitigate further losses.

Shotlist:
Gwanda, Matabeleland South Province, Zimbabwe - July 25, 2024:
1. Drought-stricken land;
2. Various of cattle drinking;
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Enat Mdlongwa, provincial director, Veterinary Services Department (starting from shot 2/partially overlaid with shot 4):
"What normally causes a lot of animals to die is walking long distances, looking for water. But if you avail water you can maintain an animal with about one or two kilograms of stock feed per day. If it wasn't for this project that is coming through, I think by now we would have probably lost half of those animals in that area because there is no water.";
[SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]
4. Various of cattle eating, people standing by;
[SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]
5. Various of people feeding cattle, cattle eating, drinking;
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Menziwa Moyo, village head, Garanyemba Village (starting with shot 5):
"If the buyers are outside, they communicate. If you want to sell your cattle for, say, 5,000, they will communicate and say don't buy for 5,000, buy it for 3,000. At the end we will lose it at 3,000. But here at the auction sale, we will benefit a lot because buyers will be competing.";
7. Various of people feeding cattle, cattle eating, drinking;
8. Various of farmland, people building up fences, hoeing;
9. SOUNDBITE (Ndebele) Patience Sibanda, villager, Garanyemba Village (starting with shot 8):
"We are providing the labor because our livelihoods are at stake. Without this project, we would lose our breeds and not have enough food.";
10. Various of water tanks, farmland, trickle irrigation system.

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