Self-sustenance through agribusiness for women

THE Zimbabwe Women Agribusiness Network (ZWAN), a food festival and networking platform specifically designed for women in agriculture, has started a training programme aimed at equipping women with farming knowledge and empowering them with skills that would facilitate job creation.

Officially launched last year in December by Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Deputy Minister Davis Marapira, ZWAN supports women farmers through networking, and the organisation has Government backing.

In an interview, the founder and executive director of ZWAN, Mrs Phillipa Jaya said the programme is aimed at helping women in agriculture to overcome the challenges they experience including assisting them to procure land and contribute to the country’s agriculture and economic development.

“This training programme is intended to assist women in becoming self-employed and financially independent while also helping them to comprehend the advantages of agriculture. We anticipate that this programme will also help expand the export market for farmers across an array of commodities,” she said.

Mrs Jaya said their organisation is also open to men and young minds.

“We are appreciative that the programme will include 20 percent men in addition to several youths who are interested in learning how to earn money,” she said.

Mrs Progress Jaya said so far, the initiative has been implemented in Bulawayo, Midlands, Masvingo, Manicaland, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Mashonaland East, and Harare.

She said more than 100 women and about 10 men have been trained in fruit and mushroom farming among others.

One of the beneficiaries of the programme, Mrs Mutodi (33) said she is determined to educate and encourage other young women to participate in the ZWAN programme.

“At my age, l feel driven to motivate youths to have the zeal to work hard and utilise these training programmes by ZWAN for self-sustenance. The organisation helps women in farming by educating them about agriculture such as which crops are suitable in a particular environment taking into consideration climate change as well as creating a market for every farmer,” she said.

“We started in 2015, doing small-scale vegetable farming after realising that we earn more money through farming and fulfilling the President’s vision, Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, which not only means sustainability for us but for Masvingo and the entire country.”

Mrs Mutodi said through farming, they managed to raise money to pay school fees for their children.

On their farm, they grow a wide range of vegetables, fruit trees, and crops.

Ward 32 Councillor Phios Chinyoka said women’s participation in the training programme will bring about sustainability in families.

“The initiative is an essential pathway to enhancing food security at both national and household levels. It is key to reducing domestic violence caused by hunger or poverty,” he said.

“Youths are encouraged to participate in the programmes to attain the necessary skills and knowledge to contribute to economic development as well as individual sustainability.”

Women account for 52 percent of the population and their inclusion in all, political, economic and social activities is critical for the attainment of Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), which prioritises gender mainstreaming through visible initiatives that confer equal opportunities to women.

Government has prioritised gender equality to enhance women’s participation in the development process, in line with the constitution, the Sadc Protocol on Gender and Development, the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 5, which seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

@NyikaLingani