Water shortages coupled with a poor reticulation system that has outlived its lifespan fuel open defecation in Lupane. Image by NewZimbabwe.com

Open defecation in Lupane, the provincial capital of Matabeleland North, poses a health and environmental hazard. Environmentalists, concerned citizens and research have long raised alarm.
 
BY CALVIN MANIKA | @The_CBNews | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | APR 13, 2023

Pvumvudza, an agricultural technique introduced by government in 2020 to promote food security, is being abandoned in Hwange. Image by UNDP

As climate change wreaks havoc, leaving communities facing hunger, some communal farmers in Zimbabwe were given hope through conservation agriculture, also known as Pfumvudza, as the answer to their problems. Years later, some people are abandoning the idea after poor yields.
 
BY CALVIN MANIKA | @The_CBNews | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | APR 13, 2023

Baboons play on rooftops and access homes through unlocked doors and windows in Hwange. Image by Unsplash

In Hwange, baboons are giving local residents sleepless nights. Like burglars, troops of baboons break windows and roof sheets breaking into people’s homes stealing food.
 
BY CALVIN MANIKA | @The_CBNews | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | APR 13, 2023

Uneven surfaces at Lwendulu Primary school in Hwange makes driving a wheelchair difficult for children living with disabilities. Image by Calvin Manika, March 2023

The Girls Way of Life Charitable Trust has established an inclusive school in Matabeleland North to provide education for disabled children who face significant barriers to accessing education due to inadequate infrastructure and resources.

This story is part of a reporting series supported by the Pulitzer Centre.

BY CALVIN MANIKA | @The_CBNews | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | APR 1, 2023

Mabheka secondary school is the only school available to six villages within a 30-kilometer radius at Dwala village. Image by Lynnia Ngwenya, March 2023

For students in Matabeleland, attending school is a struggle. With fewer schools per ward, many must walk long distances just to reach the nearest one.

This story is part of a reporting series supported by the Pulitzer Centre.

BY LYNNIA NGWENYA | @The_CBNews | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | MAR 31, 2023