National Youth Service Graduates Construct Community Dip Tank

Forty patriotic-minded national youth service graduates in Mashonaland Central have become overnight heroes in Mt Darwin South after constructing a community dip tank in Chishava Village one of many villages in the constituency whose livestock was cleared by the deadly January Disease around 2019 due to lack of livestock dipping chemicals.

The dip tank could be the best community dip tank so far in the province if not nationwide due to its state-of-the-art infrastructure.

The dip tank has a well-ventilated dip tank attendant office with ablution facilities using the flushing system. Farmers can also use the facilities.

Instead of farmers taking turns filling up the dipping pool, the youth constructed a big water reservoir beside the dip. They then constructed a pipeline from Centre Zimbabwe Africa High School, which is nearby, to supply water to the tank.

A few farmers who spoke to this publication hailed the youth for their patriotism.

Christance Manyika of Manyika Village said his father lost all his cattle over the past three years from 2020 due to January Disease.

“ We had a herd of around 15 beasts around 2019. We however lost all of them over the past three years.

“While others were managing to buy the dipping chemicals on their own, we were not able to do so hence we lost everything.

“We are very happy that these national youth service graduands thought of us,” said Manyika.

According to Sabhuku Mushepu (Amos Mandaza), the village head of a nearby village to Chishava, Mushepu  Village and whose subjects depend on the Chishava dip tank, the dip tank was last used around 2010.

“It went down around 2010 and ever since farmers were self dipping their livestock. With the coming in of the January Disease pandemic in 2019, those who could not dip their livestock lost all.

“We are very thankful to the government of Zimbabwe for nurturing such youths dedicated to building their country. True to the President’s daily mantra: Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo,” said Sabhuku Mushepu.

The 40 youths were undergoing national youth service training at Centre Zimbabwe Africa High School courtesy of the Ministry of Youth Empowerment and Transformation.

They graduated a fortnight ago at the same high school and were handed their certificates by  Ministry of Youth Deputy Minister Kudakwashe Mupamhanga who is also Mt Darwin South Member of Parliament.