Sarah Sithole (23) from Ndajila village in Hwange says participating in the exchange visit organized by PELUM Zimbabwe helped her to understand agroecological practices from the wide range of participants who took part.
Sarah says she learnt a lot from the visit.
“I learnt a lot from the people who visited but what touched me the most was an issue based on sharing and caring for people and animals and how people from different organizations work together in harmony to achieve agroecology goals,” says Sarah.
The exchange visit was organized by PELUM Zimbabwe for programme partners in the land and livestock regeneration programme. Participants went to Hwange in Matabeleland North province for the two-day exchange visit as part of their learning process. The purpose of the visit was for the partners to learn from each other and see what other members are doing on the ground.
One of the participants, Shadreck Chenerwi (35), a Programmes Officer for Environmental Management Trust in Bikita district in Masvingo says the experience he had from the visit was very helpful to him.
“The field visits granted us the power to upscale our agroecology work after witnessing the work being done by the farmers on the ground. We are going to re-engage our local traditional leaders so that they may provide us with at least one hectare of land to do our pioneer projects through the learning from PELUM Zimbabwe,” says Shadreck.
Shadreck says the visit to one of the villages in Hwange helped him to have a clear picture of some of the innovations used to regenerate the landscape.
“The Boma project that I saw in the Sobajimba community is crucial in that it enriches the soil and improves soil structure. The project also builds social cohesion through making the community to work together. I also liked the way they are addressing the cross-cutting issues such gender equality and age diversity,” says Shadreck.
Priviledge Tembo (28) a smallholder farmer from Masikili village in Hwange district says the exchange visit was an important learning platform.
“During the exchange visit l learnt that if you work together as a community with the same goal in mind, many people will be attracted to your work hence driving them to come and see the work you will be doing. This will increase your knowledge as they will also bring new ideas that will make the project a success,” says Privilege.
Priviledge says she is eager to implement what she learnt during the exchange visit.
“My desire is to improve on the areas that we were taught during the exchange visit so that when the PELUM Zimbabwe members visit us gain, they will see that we have implemented what we have learned,” says Privilege.
Priviledge adds that she looks forward to visit other areas so that she also learns from what others are doing.
“I wish next time we will also visit PELUM Zimbabwe members in their respective areas and learn from their farmers what they are doing,” says Priviledge.
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