Chivi Central Constituency, ward 12 Chairwoman has expanded multiple income-generating projects and mobilised hundreds of women into cooperative enterprises under Government’s rural empowerment and economic development programmes.
Mercury Moyo, a farmer and community leader, has diversified her activities into beekeeping, poultry production, livestock rearing and grain processing, establishing what has become a growing rural production hub in the area.
She said her initiatives were inspired by Government calls for citizens to engage in productive economic activities and make use of locally available resources.
“President Mnangagwa always encourages us to work hard, produce and build our country. I took that message seriously and decided that I should not depend on one source of income,” said Moyo.
Moyo operates 15 beehives, keeps broiler and indigenous chickens, and runs two grinding mills that serve surrounding villages.
She said the milling services had improved access for local communities, particularly women who previously travelled long distances to process grain.
“The grinding mills are helping many villagers. Now the service is available within the community and people are benefiting,” she said.
In addition to her agribusiness ventures, Moyo has joined the national wheat production programme aimed at boosting food security. She said production efforts continue despite challenges such as limited irrigation infrastructure in the drought-prone area.
“Irrigation remains a challenge and sometimes I fetch water using a wheelbarrow, but we continue working because production is the only way forward,” she said.
As Ward 12 Chairwoman, Moyo oversees 32 villages and works with approximately 1 600 women. Under her leadership, 17 cooperative groups and a Village Business Unit have been established to support income-generating projects.
She said cooperative structures were enabling women to pool resources and improve productivity.
Moyo commended Government for creating enabling frameworks for rural economic participation, saying communities should take advantage of such programmes to improve livelihoods.
Her initiatives reflect a broader trend of rural communities adopting agriculture and small-scale enterprises as tools for economic development and poverty reduction.
Moyo’s efforts reflect a growing trend of rural communities leveraging small-scale enterprises and cooperative models to drive local economic development and improve household livelihoods.
