Online Reporter
Walter Nyamukondiwa
Mashonaland West Bureau Chief
AT LEAST 58 women in the Mushumi area of Hurungwe District, Mashonaland West Province, have transformed their lives through mushroom production.
They completed training under a community-based programme spearheaded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF), with support from the Irish Embassy.
Production of oyster mushrooms in darkened huts, lined with plastic sheeting, has grown to 40kg per cycle, allowing the women to supply local markets, including schools, restaurants in Karoi and beyond.
With the income, the women have been able to pay school fees for their children, buy groceries and save.
Chairperson of the group Ms Shumirayi Chindori, who received specialised training in mushroom production and skills to pass on the knowledge to others, has so far trained 56 women from seven wards.
Ms Chinhori has also been spearheading drought mitigation interventions through use of locally available underlying matter, which supports the growth of the mushroom.
The alternatives include banana leaves and cotton waste.
Traditionally, materials like wheat straw and maize stalks are used, but drought in recent seasons has affected production.
“We never imagined mushrooms could change our lives this way,” said Shumirayi,
“We were used to farming the hard way, ploughing, weeding, waiting for rains. Now, we are farming smart. Mushrooms don’t need much land or water.”
Another farmer said mushroom farming had provided an alternative revenue stream that is now allowing her to support her husband.
Ms Chindori plans to buy her first cattle with savings from mushroom production.
“Owning cattle is something I’ve always dreamed of,” she said. “Mushrooms are helping me get there, one step at a time.”
Seasonal dry spells have affected them as they struggle to get water for their mushroom houses and shortage of base agricultural waste like maize stalks.
Through support from agricultural officers and training support under ZRBF 2 they have learned composting, substrate treatment, and the use of alternative base material like banana leaves.
Men are also playing an active role through supporting the women with building of infrastructure, transport and marketing.
Mr Noel Chabayanzara said a shift in gender dynamics was inevitable and reshaping traditional household roles.
“At first, we thought this was women’s work,” said Mr Noel Chabayanzara, a trained mushroom farmer.
“But when we saw the income and how households are changing, we had to join in. Some of us now help with substrate collection and transport.”
Mr Innocent Kutyauripo said he now helped prepare the growing bags and manage hygiene in their mushroom house.
The women now plan to increase production as demand for mushrooms grows and to build a processing plant.
