Marula nut decortications machine development to grow industry and sustain rural livelihoods in Chivi and Masendu wards in Zimbabwe

Abstract

This research focuses on developing the entrepreneurial skills and capacities of the marginalised and disadvantaged groups (especially women and orphans) in countryside communities. It seeks to promote the development of sustainable community-based natural product enterprises and to provide guidance in developing and implementing programmes on developing entrepreneurship skills and culture at the community level by providing mechanisation technology for cracking Marula fruit nuts. The researchers seek to develop the concept of a Community-Based Enterprise (CBE), maintaining that it provides a potential strategy for sustainable local development. The research established that most people in rural areas depend on the forest and on other natural resources for their daily livelihoods. However, they generally use these resources in a subsistence mode, and hardly harness the optimum potential of the resource nor do they generate a good income and secure employment for themselves. Such a subsistence approach to using the products of natural resources is an attributed factor for the continuation of rural poverty and the degradation of the resource base. There is little incentive for these people to conserve and manage the resources. This led to the researchers’ focus on the establishment of Marula natural products enterprises development as a basis for the generation of income and employment for local people, and the sustainable management of natural resources. Research has shown that the poorest communities need entrepreneurship skills to enable them to establish and develop sustainable natural product enterprises. Entrepreneurship development provides the natural resources dependent communities with the skills and competencies necessary to address enterprise challenges, and to tap into the opportunities in the long run through initiating enterprises with or without external support. Researchers have established that little work in Zimbabwe has been done to increase the rate of production in Marula nut cracking. The methodology used included conducting a survey and participatory workshops in the two zoom sites of Masendu and Chivi to establish the feasibility of using the Marula tree and fruit as the focal economic driver. The workshops provided pertinent information which will be vital in generating the Marula nut cracking machine design as a platform to fostering entrepreneurship for economic sustainability in the communities.