Agriculture Show: A unique platform to promote products and services for Marange Community.

Story by ZIDAWU Information Desk

The Marange Community is generally semi- arid and experiences erratic rainfalls, thus the harvests are generally low. The growing pandemic of Climate Change worsens the situation of the Marange Community. Their livelihoods are mainly based on subsistence farming and animal husbandry especially of goats that feeds on bushy vegetation and cattle. Therefore, climate change causing dry spells and acute rain shortages in the area greatly affects the efforts to increase food and security nutrition.

This results in pledging of girl child in exchange of money or cattle violating their sexual reproductive health, right to education and rob them of a potential bright successful future. The cases of sexual exploitation due to poverty and Gender Based Violence increases as conflicts over welfare of children and families increases. This calls for intervention to ensure community development, empowerment of women and girls to resist, reduce and report cases of violation of human rights and ending child marriages. To this end, Green Governance Zimbabwe working with Environmental Buddies Zimbabwe in Ward 23 trained women on value addition of the Indigenous foods. This ensures food security, female independence as well as maintaining the nutritional value of the foods.

 

At the just ended Ward 23 Agriculture Show held on 30th of August 2022 at Chigonda Primary in Marange, the women displayed various types of foods value added. Vegetables such as both fresh and dried vegetables. The drying process is done using solar driers or in the shed to retain the nutritional value. Sweet potatoes and Cassava are being used to make fries and flour. These are the things that entice children while having a balanced diet. The result is poverty reduction hence achieving Sustainable Development Goal 1 of No poverty as well as of SDG 13 of Climate Action at the same time.

Speaking at the event, Traditional leaders and Coordinator representing Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development, stated that, ‘ with all these developments, pledging children for marriage in exchange for food will be entirely stupid as the community is empowered to use hands to combat poverty at very low costs.’

As ZIDAWU we applauded our partners Environmental Buddies Zimbabwe and Green Governance Zimbabwe for the great work they are doing in the Ward. With the afforestation project spearheaded by Environmental Buddies Zimbabwe that encourages Households to plant indigenous trees and fruit trees, having family Woodlots will go a long way in retaining carbon sinks as well as reducing the cutting down of trees for firewood. The fruit trees will add to the nutritional value of families as fruit trees compliments the rural diet.

 

As ZIDAWU this was a learning curve for us. We in Ward 3, 29 and 30 where we are doing is goat projects, poultry and building of Wood Saving Stoves as Climate Change Action initiatives. At the Agriculture show , we learnt that value addition of our traditional grains is an opportunity for both social and economic development. Usually, communities sells a bucket of Sorghum for $7 USD but after value addition the meal will cost $1 for two cups meaning the person who sells after value addition fetches more money as opposed to a farmer who sells before. Thus, as we continue advocating for climate change adaptation we continue to learn and appreciate partnerships that brings about Community development and empowerment of households.

 

ZIDAWU Information Desk
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