These areas are plagued by persistent drought, with accompanying widespread soil erosion, river siltation, and loss of vegetative cover. Portrait of Rural Life in Zimbabwe People in Binga district, north-western Zimbabwe, live in conditions of chronic poverty, and the combination of severe droughts and recent economic recession has increased their vulnerability. A 1993 Save the Children report stated that many residents regularly do not have enough grain to feed themselves. People exist on wild foods and drought handouts, remittances from relatives working in towns, and often from selling their remaining crops and livestock. Living in such precarious conditions means that if wildlife damage crops or livestock, it can ruin people's very livelihoods.
Elephant damage is a significant factor in crop loss in many parts of the district.
Up until 1985, we were a people without hope. Our children too were suffering as diseases took their toll. There were no schools, no wells and no clinics. Villagers continually sought help as they were engaged in a desperate struggle to survive. Chief Sinakatenge, Binga district.