A Roman Catholic nun caught in action with children in Mashonaland West Province
WASHINGTON —
Seven rural and economic development experts from Zimbabwe are in the United States on a 10-day exchange visit to understudy rural communities engaged in income generating projects.
They are visiting three cities - Washington DC, North Carolina and Wisconsin - where they will also learn about business investments and job creation and how they can improve the economic stability of rural communities in Zimbabwe.
The assistant public affairs officer at the United States Embassy in Harare, Jullian Bonnardeaux, says the aim of the programme is to take a look at what could be done in rural areas in Zimbabwe through learning what's happening in the United States.
"We worked out a schedule for this group to have exposure to viable income generating projects in the U.S that may be adaptable and transferable to Zimbabwe. We have them looking at various business investment and job creation programmes in the U.S that could improve the economic stability of rural economies in Zimbabwe," said Bonnardeaux.
"The intention is not that the programmes that they will see in rural America are directly applicable to the situations they face in their own Zimbabwe, rather that the global networks and exposure to new ideas may assist them in finding new partners realizing that connections with resident farmers, business sectors, academic communities, and so on is part of the path forward of facilitating economic recovery and economic growth in these communities, " she added.
The delegates are drawn from rural communities in Goromonzi, Murehwa, Mutare, Makoni, Hwange and other rural councils.
