Perpetua Murungweni
Community gardens have become a source of women empowerment through farming projects that reward women with financial benefits, food for their families while at the same time helping in poverty reduction.
This came out during a Horticulture field day held on May 23, 2022, where women from villages around Chiponda area showcased their garden projects and share experiences with different agriculture stakeholders.
Speaking at Chiponda community garden Agriculture Extension (Agritex) supervisor Tinashe Chirambadare said the garden is a form of women empowerment to the community since all the beneficiaries are women.
“The community garden is a form of women empowerment. We empower women through teaching them farming, leadership courses through drafting a constitution that leads everyone in the leadership section.
“We also empower these women by teaching them value edition on what they produce in the garden, which is drying (kufusha) and also about unity, if they are united, they can work together and it promotes peace in the community.
“The project also helps in promoting food security since the project has 52 women beneficiaries,” said Chirambadare.
Kumbirai Chomunogwa the garden secretary also said the garden project has brought so much change to the community because most women are able to feed their families through the garden.
“This project has brought so much change for us women because now we are able to feed our families without only depending on our husbands. The garden has empowered us to become soul providers for families and supporting our husbands,” said Chomunogwa.
She also pointed out that the project has helped to reduce domestic violence in the community.
“The garden project has helped in reducing domestic violence in our homes because we are now able to provide for our families and no longer dependent on our husbands to feed us. Lack of food in our homes was a major cause of domestic violence considering the state of our economy as our husbands sometimes render their frustration of failing to provide for us wives and children,” said Chomunogwa.
