Chimanimani youths use their Agroecology knowledge to give back to the community

Dorothy Ziweya (68) (on extreme left) stands with PELUM Zimbabwe member organization representatives during a learning visit at her homestead in Chimanimani. Dorothy was assisted by youths working with PELUM Zimbabwe member, Participatory Organic Research and Extension training (PORET) Trust to construct a small dam, swells and infiltration pits on her four-hectare plot. Dorothy says the intervention has more than doubled her harvest. Photo: Collins Chirinda/PELUM Zimbabwe.

A group of 10 youths in Chimanimani district are working with vulnerable members of the community to help enhance their resilience to the climate crisis. These youths are setting up water harvesting structures in the fields of vulnerable community members.

Dorothy Ziweya (68) who is living with a disability in Chitima village, is one of the farmers who have been assisted by these youths.

“I am very happy about the help that I got from the youths. The youths came in 2022 and constructed two small dams, 14 gabions for water harvesting and planted 74 indigenous and exotic trees,” says Dorothy.

Dorothy expressed her deep gratitude for the assistance she got from the youths and said she has seen significant improvements in her harvests following the construction of the water harvesting structures on her four-hectare plot.

“My harvests have improved. Where I used to harvest one bucket of finger millet before the water harvesting structures were set up, I am now harvesting one and a half to two 50kg bags,” says Dorothy.

Tadiwa Moyana (21) one of the 10 youths says the youths were trained in water harvesting techniques by PELUM Zimbabwe member, Participatory Organic Research Extension Training Trust (PORET) and are eager to demonstrate the knowledge and skills they have gained in order to improve the community’s food self-sufficiency.

“We identified Dorothy’s homestead as one of the most vulnerable homesteads in our community. We came together and identified a few interventions that we could use to improve Dorothy’s agricultural capacity. We were eager to improve our community’s food self-sufficiency starting with this homestead,” he says.

Chitenderano Mutyadzanga (46), Programme Officer working with PORET says the organisation is aiming to give back to the community, especially the most vulnerable members and community at large.

“The aim of our intervention is to ensure that we promote sustainable water harvesting because we get very little water annually. Dorothy has a better future considering that she has been better equipped through the intervention that has been done by the youths in our community,” he says.