BY PHUMELELE GAMEDZE
KHUBUTHA – Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla today witnessed NDRMA’s Food for Work Programme changing lives as communities built roads, secured clean water and moved closer to opening their first high school, proving that determination and partnership can transform communities.
What was once a daily struggle for many families in Kubuta is steadily becoming a story of hope. Instead of waiting for assistance, residents are rolling up their sleeves to build the future they have long dreamed of, with every stone laid bringing them closer to better roads, clean water and quality education.
Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla visited the Food-for-Work (FFW) projects at Enhlalabantfu and Moti, where she commended the determination of community members who have taken ownership of their own development. The programme is implemented by the National Disaster Risk Management Authority (NDRMA) with support from the Government of Eswatini and the Republic of China (Taiwan).
The Food for Work Programme enables vulnerable households to receive food in exchange for participating in community development projects. Beyond addressing immediate food needs, the initiative is creating lasting infrastructure while helping communities become more resilient to future challenges.
At Enhlalabantfu, residents are constructing a concrete road and drainage system using stones collected from Mbosi. The project is expected to improve access for motorists and pedestrians, particularly during the rainy season.
In Moti, hope is flowing just as strongly as the water that residents have long waited for. For years, families have depended on rivers for their daily water supply, often travelling long distances to the Mkhondvo River whenever nearby streams dried up. Today, that reality is changing as the community works alongside contractors on a water project that is now at an advanced stage.
The same spirit of determination is evident in the construction of a new high school. For many children, completing Grade 7 has meant travelling long distances to Lomdladla and Nkwene High Schools, a challenge that has contributed to school dropouts and teenage pregnancies.
Member of Parliament Masiphula Mamba said the new school will bring education closer to home and offer young people a better opportunity to complete their studies.
The community has already contributed towards the construction of the school, which has reached window level. The Microprojects Programme has committed to completing the building, while Deputy Prime Minister Dladla pledged to engage the Ministry of Education to fast track the remaining work so that the school can welcome its first learners next year.
NDRMA Chief Executive Officer Victor Mahlalela said the Food for Work Programme has already been rolled out in 14 constituencies, benefiting more than 10 000 people with food rations that include rice, beans and vegetable oil.
Addressing residents, Dladla praised the communities for refusing to let hardship define them. She said their willingness to work together instead of waiting for others to solve their problems demonstrated the true meaning of community development and would inspire other emaSwati to follow their example.
As the visit concluded, it was clear that the Food for Work Programme is delivering far more than food parcels. It is restoring dignity, creating opportunity and leaving behind roads, clean water and a school that will serve generations to come.
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(Courtesy Pic)
