Land and training can create a future for women

“When women are equipped with skills and knowledge, they are better positioned to venture into activities that improve their livelihoods,” she said. “It may look like it is a drop in the ocean, but the process has ripple effects.”

Muzondiwa said because many women had shown an interest in potato farming, there was now a need to set up training centres.

“Moving around this community, one can see that at every household there is a sack of potatoes and women are trying to figure out how to effectively grow the tubers. It is like the women are hungry for training but most of them cannot afford to pay for the training fee,” she said.

For Muzondiwa, training other women in potato farming complements her belief that a nation well-fed is a thriving nation with a promise of growth and development.

Said the mother of four: “I am a beneficiary of programmes from the Zimbabwe Women’s Bureau and I should repay that by ensuring the information and skills that I learnt from others cascades to the next generation.

“The organisation didn’t give us any money, as some non-governmental organisations did. Instead, they capacitated us to be able to identify business opportunities and become successful business women,” said Muzondiwa.

She recalled the latest training on business management, conducted for more than 200 women countrywide.

“I was a cross-border trader from 1989 to 1995 and I managed to buy heavy duty machines for clothes. I was in this industry for several years until business collapsed,” she said. “I diversified and went into the transport industry before I ventured into the retail industry.”

She said the harsh economic environment bedeviling the country in 2008 saw her lose business in a single day.

“I lost all my money in one day after trading in the Zimbabwean dollar and the money became valueless. I failed to buy even a single $1. I almost had a heart attack. I spent days in bed with high blood pressure,” she said.

The ZWB member urged women in business to persevere and reach for the sky no matter the circumstances.

“From my 1,600 plants, I am optimistic of a bumper harvest,” she said.

ZWB director Ronica Mumbire said women should take responsibility for their economic lives and the welfare of their families.

“Skills development is important and it is never too late to teach a woman, because the benefits will cascade to their families, the community and the nation,” said Mumbire.