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Blessing Karubwa, Business Reporter
THE Lupane Women’s Development Trust (LWDT) says it is back on full time business having survived the severe strain induced by the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown measures.

Art and craft businesses are a key component of the tourism and leisure value chain, which was crippled by travel restrictions across the globe.

Many tourism entities were forced to cut staff as they trimmed operations due to weak business as demand slowed down and supplies chains were disrupted.

Small to medium scale businesses like LWDT that relied on physical contact to engage their clients have suffered the hardest as a result.

The trust has a membership of over 4 000 women from around Kusile District. The center provides training, information and marketing for various projects being projects that include, horticulture, livestock production, bee keeping, basketry and other cottage industries.

LWDT programme director, Mrs Hildigard Mufukare, said the center had a number of projects, which relied on group works but due to Covid-19, they could not bring the women together.

“This affected production systems put in place by the centre that relied on group work and regular production meetings held at the centre.

The singing and dancing that was a critical part of it had to be put on hold,” she said.

Mrs Mufukare said some products, which were made before lockdown lost value as they were stored for a long time following some limitations in movements due to Covid-19 and this demoralised some of the members who left.

Mrs Mufukare said the centre was flooded by opportunists during the lockdown period who sought to take advantage of the situation to buy their products for a song.

She, however, said despite the challenges, the centre has remained resilient with members being able to buy groceries, household goods such as beds, wardrobes, building materials and kitchen items.

Marketing manager, Mrs Khayelihle Sibanda, said despite Covid-19 their hospitality section continued to be the flagship for income generation.

“The basketry products have continued to sell quickly particularly to the local market with our major clients in Harare,” said Mrs Sibanda.  –  @TichaKarubwa.