Chronicle Editor
Flora Fadzai Sibanda, [email protected]
WHEN the United Kingdom-based Mrs Nomalanga Senda (33) made her maiden visit to her in-laws in Bulawayo last year, she fell in love with her extended family’s expansive land that has been lying idle for years, its potential hidden beneath the wild growth that had taken over.
The once-productive soil lay fallow, yearning for the hands of a farmer to restore its former glory. While the rest of the family viewed the two-hectare land as a mere open space, Mrs Senda saw an opportunity to venture into farming.
During her visit, Mrs Senda discovered that the vast tract of land had not seen the touch of a plough for over two years.
Today, she has transformed the land into a productive plot where she has planted maize and organic products.
The land is now brimming with life, a testament to Mrs Senda’s hard work and determination. The vibrant farmer has since relocated to Bulawayo where she is now into full-time farming.
Mrs Senda invested US$5 000 to clear the two-hectare plot, which had not been cultivated for over two years. Utilising an existing borehole, she mechanised it, added a 65 000-litre water reservoir and installed solar panels to pump the water.
“When I saw my in-law’s place in Woodville lying idle and being wasted I immediately came up with a plan to turn it into productive land. After consulting with my husband, we injected US$5 000 to clear the land,” said Mrs Senda.
Her venture into farming despite her background in the UK and passion for cooking, highlights the unexpected paths life can take.
The unique initiative serves as an inspiration for others in the diaspora to consider investing back home.
Mrs Senda, a mother of three, said despite initial challenges posed by an El Niño-induced drought, she persevered by conducting extensive research and engaging with other farmers.
Her hard work has paid off as she now grows maize, cabbages, beans, carrots and other vegetables. Her plot supplies local supermarkets and neighbours, contributing to the community’s food supply.
“I had to do a lot of research on farming in our region just to see what works and what doesn’t. I then engaged with several farmers both locally and internationally just to see how they were managing despite the drought,” she said.
Popularly known as Noma Creatives for the spices that she used to make in the UK using organic products, Mrs Senda hopes to use her own products to value add them into spices instead of buying crops from overseas. The young farmer said she relocated to the UK in 2004 when she was 14 years old.
Mrs Senda said she developed a passion for cooking using organic products at a young age. She then decided to showcase her talent at the BBC master chef competition and reached the quarter-finals stage.
Mrs Senda said farming was never part of the plan in her life until recently when she fell in love with her in-law’s land.
“My husband calls me the accidental farmer because farming was never in my mind. I never thought I would venture into it. My advice to the people who are in the diaspora is that they should invest back home,” she said. — @flora_sibanda
Online Reporter