Anna Chinguura (59) a smallholder farmer from Machingura Village in Ward 12, Makonde district works with PELUM Zimbabwe member Musoromuchena Skills for Life. She has been part of Musoromuchena Skills for Life for over 15 years focusing on growing traditional grains such as sorghum, groundnuts, traditional vegetables and various millets.
Anna’s dedication is not only limited to agriculture but also strengthening and building the resilience of her fellow women farmers through unlocking agroecological value chains for economic diversity.
Before Anna joined the Musoromuchena Skills for Life, she was more dedicated to conventional agriculture, utilising synthetic inputs which harmed the soil and reduced her outputs year after year.
“Farming is my way of life. I relied heavily on external synthetic inputs to boost my crops. I used to buy seeds and spend money on chemicals. My yields were affected and this resulted in less income for my family,” she says.
The turnaround for Anna came when she joined Musoromuchena Skills for Life where she was introduced to a resilience and livelihood strengthening programme which transformed her way of life completely.
“Joining Musoromuchena Skills for Life and embracing agroecology has been a game changer in my life. I now save my own seeds and make organic fertilizers like bokashi and compost manure using our locally available materials and we now make our own natural pesticides for managing pests. This shift has improved our soil health to a greater extent, in comparison to conventional farming methods.” she shares.
Anna adds that apart from farming, she is also involved in various community initiatives that focus on traditional crafts and food processing, which has helped with economic diversification for economic development both individually and collectively as a community.
“As women working with Musoromuchena, we come together to make hats, mats, and even process our food products from the proceeds of our farming activities. By doing this we are not just creating products but we are building and strengthening resilience and connections and it is another way of source of income to take care of our families. Since we started earning a living through these projects we are now able to pay fees for our children and take care of our needs as families,” she says.
Hluphekile Mujuruki (49), the director of Musoromuchena Skills for Life, highlights the significant benefits that farmers in Musoromuchena are gaining from the programs they are doing at Musoromuchena Skills for Life Organisation.
“Women in our farming communities are truly benefiting from these initiatives, Anna is one of the farmers who has benefited from the trainings we do as Musoromuchena Skills for Life. Together with other women, they are playing a crucial role in encouraging others to grow traditional grains and return to traditional farming methods. She’s not only transforming her own life but also uplifting her entire community.” she says.
Tsitsi Mangwaro, (60) Environmental Technician from Musoromuchena Skills for Life, says the interventions their organisation has initiated have had positive impacts on resilience building and strengthening the livelihoods of women farmers in the communities they are working in.
“These projects are helping communities by offering trainings on building the capacities and strengthening resilience building efforts, significantly contributing to land reclamation and sustainability through agroecology and economic diversification because farmers are now taking care of the soil and improving soil fertility at the same time diversifying their economic activities. As a result, our farmers are starting to earn a better living from these interventions,” she says.
