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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
ENTERPRISING villagers in Binga District have embarked on small scale bakery projects where they produce bread and other products for sale.

While many complain about lack of capital and equipment to start self-supportive projects, Lusumpuko Bakery Group and Lubanda Bakery members are using homemade ovens made of an old drum to produce bakery products, which are now sustaining their local communities.

Five members – Mrs Ntombizodwa Mwinde, Mrs Thandiwe Mudenda, Mrs Otilia Mudenda, Mrs Silvia Munkuli and Mrs Fortunate Chikore from Muchesu – established Lusumpuko Bakery Group.

Three other villagers from Mrs Mauki Zulu, Mrs Simenyiwe Mudenda, and Mr Robson Muzamba from Saba area are also running Lubanda Bakery.

Chronicle Business recently caught up with the two groups in Binga where they were showcasing their products.

Speaking on behalf of Muchesu Bakery Group, Mrs Mwinde said they are producing two dozens of bread daily as they were using a single drum.

“We started June 14, 2016 when we thought about forming a group and we spoke to our local Councillor Mathias Mwinde who approached the Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment and the Silveira House on our behalf,” said Mrs Mwinde.

“Silveira House brought us a drum and some trays, which we are using to make 24 loaves and 12 twist bread loaves a day. Our output is limited because of resource constraints.”

Silveira House is a non-governmental organisation, which trains Small to Medium Enterprises in Binga and other areas countrywide.

Mrs Mwinde said since they started they have been making a profit of around $20 per day, which she said they want to improve on as soon as they get more equipment and funding to buy more ingredients.

She said they were hoping to get more drums to make more ovens so as to increase production.

Mrs Mwinde said so far they were selling their products at Muchesu Clinic and Mundoza where they have established a market.

“Our goal is to get equipment and expand the project so we can even afford to help orphans in our area. So far we have been managing to buy ingredients using what we realise as profit. Our biggest challenge is lack of a mixing table and a shade where we can do our work and make proper marketing,” she added.

For Lubanda, Mr Muzamba said they wished to get more training and equipment to expand their project, which produces a similar number of loaves of bread and rolls.

They also started in June last year and Mr Muzamba said “so far the project has been sustainable” as they are able to save some money for their families.

The oven is made up of empty metal drum of which one side is open and fitted with some shelves to put trays. Below the shelves is a fire shelf from where the oven gets its source of heating mechanism.

— @ncubeleon.