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August | The Drought Diaries: Ganda Farayi, Zimbabwe

Portrait of Ganda Farayi, Harare metro TNH
Ganda Farayi in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe

Ganda Farayi, Forklift operator

“It is going to be a long, tough month for me.”

Ganda's story

Ganda Farayi lives in Chitungwiza, a satellite town 30 kilometres southeast of the capital, Harare. He works as a forklift driver for a company in the city’s Workington industrial area, a job he’s held since 1982.

Ganda is married to Maria and they have four children – two that are in secondary school and two that have finished school. The family depends on his income of ZWL4200 ($262) although Maria also rears chicken for sale from time to time.

Ganda says the greatest challenge is the ever-rising prices of basic goods and services. His salary leaves him with just enough to cover the barest of essentials.

“In order that I can afford to pay school fees for my children who are in boarding in school we have had to cut out many other needs like meat, which we now only eat on special occasions,” he says. “The economic situation is dire.”

Ganda owns his home so the family doesn’t pay rent.

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