Public Works Programme participants demand materials

Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme participants in Mwanza District have asked authorities to speed up procurement of project materials.

Speaking on Wednesday when Mwanza District Environmental Sub-Committee members visited catchment areas, Kasuza Catchment Area Management Committee chairperson Chiyembekezo Chiudzu said the delay to provide them with equipment may affect performance.

He said they needed empty sacks, hammers, first aid box, hoes and pangas.

“In areas without stones, we need to load sand in sacks to construct check dams,” said Chiudzu.

Kapise Catchment Area grievance redress mechanism chairperson Blessings Domwe agreed with Chiudzu, saying they are using personal tools.

In response, Mwanza district liaison officer Chifundo Makhumula Thungwa assured the participants that processing of funds was complete.

“Fortunately, the procurement committees were already empowered on procurement procedures. So, there will be no further delays,” he said.

Besides empowering participants economically, the programme seeks to restore degraded landscapes to improve food production.

In its first two years of implementation, the programme is targeting 10 500 households in the district to undertake various activities in land resource conservation and forestry in 13 catchment areas.

The programme is an initiative under the World Bank-funded Social Support for Resilient Livelihood Project.