Drip irrigation ensures Bulawayo CBD's community garden starts yielding rewards
In its inception, the Trust donated garden tools, which include a drip irrigation kit, to all the 29 Wards of the Bulawayo.
ZDDT News Correspondent, Ntando Sibanda (NS), went to the garden to cover the group planting a new batch of crops. He managed to conduct a side interview with the chairperson, Mrs Petronella Mguni (PM), and another beneficiary, Mr Jericho Ngwenya (JN), in order to understand how the garden has impacted on their lives.
NS: What lessons have you learnt in your experience in this garden?
JN: We learnt and realised that the Drip Irrigation way of farming conserves both water and energy on our part. It is not labour intensive and the fact that water only penetrates where there is the plant means that there is no water going to waste, the plant absorbs all the water.
NS: Would one say you have acquired a life skill by being involved in this garden?
JN: The farming method and general knowledge that we have learnt here is very valuable and one can apply it anywhere in life. Some of us have rural homes and if resources were permitting, we would love to get funding to go and establish individual gardens at our homes for self-sustenance. In short, ZDDT has empowered us with great knowledge through this Drip Irrigation scheme.
NS: Has the garden economically benefited you as a member?
JN: Indeed it has. From our first crops, we managed to harvest and sell a lot of tomatoes. We shared the income equally amongst ourselves as members and we also kept half of it so that we could use it to buy seeds and seedlings on the next round of crops to be planted. As you can see, we have already bought the seeds and seedlings and we are planting (from the profits). This garden is an opportunity for us to grow, not only in terms of farming skills and techniques, but also in managing our finances and marketing our products.
When asked to comment about the progress of the garden and its impact on the beneficiaries, Mrs Mguni concurred with Mr Ngwenya, saying the garden has been an eye-opening experience for them.
NS: How has the garden impacted on you and the rest of the beneficiaries?
PN: When we planted our first crop, it was a learning curve, and indeed we learnt a lot on how to farm effectively, utilising as little water as possible to realise maximum produce. I think the best lesson that came out of it all is that. It has taught us how to live and work together as a collective group. It has shown us that despite our different backgrounds, we are one and therefore there is power and effectiveness in oneness.
The results from this garden tally with the founding principle of ZDDT, which states that the Trust seeks to economically empower people and therefore improve their livelihoods through self-help projects. ZDDT also aims to heal people from the political upheavals and misdemeanours of yesteryear by encouraging them to work together in the transition to a democratic society that is evolving in the country.
ZDDT News Correspondent, Ntando Sibanda (NS), went to the garden to cover the group planting a new batch of crops. He managed to conduct a side interview with the chairperson, Mrs Petronella Mguni (PM), and another beneficiary, Mr Jericho Ngwenya (JN), in order to understand how the garden has impacted on their lives.
NS: What lessons have you learnt in your experience in this garden?
JN: We learnt and realised that the Drip Irrigation way of farming conserves both water and energy on our part. It is not labour intensive and the fact that water only penetrates where there is the plant means that there is no water going to waste, the plant absorbs all the water.
NS: Would one say you have acquired a life skill by being involved in this garden?
JN: The farming method and general knowledge that we have learnt here is very valuable and one can apply it anywhere in life. Some of us have rural homes and if resources were permitting, we would love to get funding to go and establish individual gardens at our homes for self-sustenance. In short, ZDDT has empowered us with great knowledge through this Drip Irrigation scheme.
NS: Has the garden economically benefited you as a member?
JN: Indeed it has. From our first crops, we managed to harvest and sell a lot of tomatoes. We shared the income equally amongst ourselves as members and we also kept half of it so that we could use it to buy seeds and seedlings on the next round of crops to be planted. As you can see, we have already bought the seeds and seedlings and we are planting (from the profits). This garden is an opportunity for us to grow, not only in terms of farming skills and techniques, but also in managing our finances and marketing our products.
When asked to comment about the progress of the garden and its impact on the beneficiaries, Mrs Mguni concurred with Mr Ngwenya, saying the garden has been an eye-opening experience for them.
NS: How has the garden impacted on you and the rest of the beneficiaries?
PN: When we planted our first crop, it was a learning curve, and indeed we learnt a lot on how to farm effectively, utilising as little water as possible to realise maximum produce. I think the best lesson that came out of it all is that. It has taught us how to live and work together as a collective group. It has shown us that despite our different backgrounds, we are one and therefore there is power and effectiveness in oneness.
The results from this garden tally with the founding principle of ZDDT, which states that the Trust seeks to economically empower people and therefore improve their livelihoods through self-help projects. ZDDT also aims to heal people from the political upheavals and misdemeanours of yesteryear by encouraging them to work together in the transition to a democratic society that is evolving in the country.