The scheme, which was initiated by the villagers in 2009, has conformed to safe farming practices that avoid chemical contamination of the environment.
Situated in Ward 14, under Chief Nhema’s area in Shurugwi North, the Gokore Market Gardening and Beekeeping project is transforming livelihoods of scores of villagers who find it difficult to make ends meet due to economic hardships.
About 62 families and several youths, widows and orphans from the surrounding communities are involved in the project.
“Through the proceeds from the sale of our products in towns like Shurugwi, Zvishavane and Gweru, we can now afford decent lives. Our children can go to school, afford better health care and enjoy the food generated from the project,” explained 42-year-old Tigere Mashava who has been involved since 2010.
“The best thing that happened to us was the coming in of EMA who taught us skills to boost our harvest. We practise mulching and crop rotation on our land and that has been highly commended for avoiding damage to pastures and nearby streams because no chemicals are used in those methods,” said another project member, Lucia Murato.
Timothy Nyoka, the EMA Midlands Education and Publicity Officer, pointed out that the body’s involvement in the Gokore project was part of their management and protection roles.
“There is collective environmental protection being done by the people of Shurugwi on that project,” he said.
Farmers from over 30 families in Gokwe earlier this year also received praise from EMA for conducting safe farming. They successfully turned wetlands into thriving agricultural projects, which brought positive change to the social and economic sectors of their communities.
The families in the Kasheedzere, Sefa and Simba areas in Gokwe, took advantage of the vast resource in the communities to turnaround their livelihoods. The farmers planted cash crops like maize and sugarcane while also setting up plantations of fruit trees like Mikute and Mionde.
In order to provide food for the community, the farmers introduced bananas and mangos. There are also nutritional gardens where people plant a variety of vegetables.
Post published in: Agriculture