QOKI Zindlovukazi is building more than 200 townhouses in Bulawayo that will accommodate its founders, who are diaspora-based Zimbabwean women, once they retire from their jobs overseas.
The construction projects in the eastern suburbs of
Waterford and Douglasdale have also created employment for locals and brought
in forex for business people.
The women’s organisation is an inspirational example of the
limitless achievements that are possible through determination, focus, teamwork
and having a vision.
Qoki Zindlovukazi was formed in 2016 and now boasts more
than 10 000 members scattered across the world. It has invested over US$8
million into various sectors of the economy since 2017 including farming,
health, energy and property in Zimbabwe and in South Africa.
Since its establishment, Qoki has developed housing stands
in Bulawayo and constructed houses in Zimbabwe and South Africa. The
organisation is involved in several projects, including borehole drilling in
Matabeleland and the Midlands, construction of a school and a clinic in
Bulawayo, as well as setting up a tomato canning factory in South Africa.
In addition, Qoki has also ventured into trucking and
logistics, and supported a solar and geyser project in Matabeleland and
Midlands provinces. At the height of Covid-19 pandemic, the organisation
donated personal protective equipment to Mpilo and Thorngrove hospitals.
Commenting on the townhouse project, Qoki founder and chief
executive officer, Ms Sithule Tshuma said the trust was ensuring that they all
retire in style after investing in decent homes and services in Bulawayo.
“Just like in Douglasdale, we bought this land as ladies,
47 ladies and we are now working on pegging, roads, house designs, sewer water
before we start building our town houses. The idea is when we retire, we need
to come back home to decent accommodation that will reflect the hard work we
put in during our days in the diaspora, I mean we work so hard,” said Ms
Tshuma.
“This is after we realised that back home, a majority of us
do not have our own homes hence we decided to unite and buy virgin land in
Bulawayo. Such things are possible when you are goal oriented and like-minded
women. I mean, we realised it’s cheaper to do it as a team than as individuals,”
she said.
Ms Tshuma said Qoki women purchase land and then share
expenses.
“In Douglasdale we have two sites, with 84 town houses in
total that we are working on. In Waterford we have 47 town houses and all these
belong to our members who are committed to investing in their futures, back
home. We have more than 16 sites around Bulawayo that we plan on developing so
that each of us has their own house eventually. We have land in Burnside,
Riverside, Woodville, Nondweni along Airport Road and we are working flat out
to develop these.
“Getting land is not that difficult but developing requires
us to be vigilant and I am happy to say that we are on track, soon we will have
our homes.”
Besides the town houses, Qoki women are also mulling buying
ambulances that will help improve service delivery in the future when they
retire.
“We have different sizes in terms of land, some sites have
97, some 38 some 82 houses. These are not for sale mind you; it’s stands that
already have owners in the diaspora who are working towards constructing back
home,” she said.
Qoki ladies have also secured 30 hectares of land to
construct Esigodini Girls College, which was bought by 30 of their members to
meet educational needs of women and girls.
To mitigate health challenges faced by communities in the
region, Qoki opened a health care centre at corner Fife Street and 11th Avenue
in Bulawayo and the clinic offers kidney dialysis, postnatal care, drug and
alcohol rehabilitation and treatment as well as support for domestic abuse
survivors.
Last year when Bulawayo was battling a cholera outbreak
which was worsened by erratic water supplies, Qoki women supplied affected
residents in Luveve and Gwabalanda with clean water.
Besides property investments, Qoki women are also involved
in farming.
They have a tomato canning business in South Africa where
they produce ketchup and other tomato products.
Plans are underway to introduce the same concept in
Zimbabwe. Chronicle
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