The project has seen the lives of the women transformed, with positive effects for their extended families and for the wider community.
The women participating in the scheme grow a variety of vegetables. Water is drawn from the Nyachowa dam on the river of the same name. The CIWM has assisted with the provision of pipes and two big water pumps.
The project Coordinator, Charles Zamba, said CIWM gave the members of the project the help they needed to kick-start a dramatic change. “We managed to set up a simple irrigation system using water from the nearby dam. After helping to clear the area of shrubs and trees and level the ground, the women were allocated pipes to carry water to their gardens. They received training in horticulture and each was given a supply of seed and fertiliser to get started,” said Zamba, adding that many households across the area were now benefiting from this low-cost and low-tech irrigation system.
Chain reaction
“The project has started a chain reaction that has spread far beyond the members. The benefits from this one simple project are now extending to thousands of other people from the wider community,” he said.
Miriam Chigodora, one of the beneficiaries of the scheme said: "In the past, we were unable to grow sufficient crops to sustain ourselves and our families throughout the year. But thanks to CIWM, this has changed. For me and other women in the group, this is a dream come true."
Chigodora comes from a long line of garden owners, but in the area where she lives with her husband and three sons, people were finding it almost impossible to grow food. She said that the whole community was suffering with many families going hungry, and parents unable to pay for essentials such as school fees.
"Our land was fertile and we had good harvests in seasons when rainfall was plentiful, but in times of drought and minimal rainfall, our crops failed. This irrigation scheme has enabled us to reap good crops every year,” she said. “I am now able to sell my produce to locals and at the market in Mutare. We can now achieve our goals."
Surplus to sell
Like other women in the involved in the project, Mavis Sachinda has seen her crop yields rise astonishingly. “After feeding my family, I now have surplus vegetables to sell. With the profits, I am able to pay school fees for my two children and buy their uniforms,” Sachinda said.
The impact of this project has not stopped there. The women, thanks to a little bit of business training, are now pooling their surplus crops, selling them in local markets and re-investing the profits.
The local councilor, Grace Tsvaki, said the project had brought about a lasting and sustainable change in women’s lives. “The confidence that this project has instilled means that people are now able to make their own decisions and pass on their new farming knowledge, so the whole community can benefit for generations to come,” she said.
"For the first time, the women have their own land to work. A plentiful supply of water allows them to grow enough food for their families with a surplus to sell, which enables them to pay school fees, medical bills, and pay for help in the gardens. We are deeply grateful to CIWM for initiating this project," Sachinda added.
Post published in: Analysis