Tsitsi Kuretu (50), a widow and mother of four from Chikukwa community, Ward 10 in Chimanimani district says seed sovereignty and agroecological practices helped her overcome challenges of widowhood.
Tsitsi says life was very difficult when she lost her husband in 2006. Her children were young, and they depended on her for their daily needs. At the age of 33, Tsitsi’s relatives advised her to remarry but she refused. She opted to remain single and to look after her children. She resorted to conventional agriculture to earn a livelihood but this did not give her the results that she wanted. Instead, Tsitsi failed to produce good yields and buying external agricultural inputs such as hybrid seeds and synthetic fertilizers proved to be expensive for her.
Tsitsi’s fortune changed when she was introduced to agroecology through working with PELUM Zimbabwe member and Zimbabwe Seed Sovereignty Programme (ZSSP) partner, Chikukwa Ecological Land Use Community Trust (CELUCT).
“I had to work very hard to provide for my children. I learned how to practice agroecology and to produce and keep my own seed and grain,” says Tsitsi.
Tsitsi implemented the agroecology knowledge and skills that she had gained through various trainings organized by CELUCT. In a short space of time, she was able to feed her family and sell surplus produce to earn income.
Patience Sithole (55), the Seed Programmes Officer and Centre manager at CELUCT says CELUCT works closely with Tsitsi and other women in Chikukwa, empowering them to be able to grow and save farm saved seeds.
“We encourage the farmers to join seed study groups. These seed study groups help them to acquire knowledge from each other as they share ideas and lessons from their practice, says Patience.
Masciline Mugero (40), an Agricultural Extension Officer who has been working with farmers for a decade says encouraging farmers to grow traditional grains has changed their lives for the better. Farmers are now food secure and able to sell excess produce.
“As an Agritex officer I am loving the changes that I see on farmers that I work with. The farmers are now able to produce good yields that they can sell for a living. From where we began with these farmers, I see a huge change as farmers show that they practice what we teach them to ensure food security in their communities,” says Masciline.
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