ZDDT Thanked As Bulawayo's Nutritional Gardens Flourish

Above: ZDDT's Simon Spooner, Angela Mason and Mdhumeni Chkwayi chatting to a member of the ward 19 nutritional gardens recently.

While others are crying for more and more help from donors, Bulawayo’s Ward 27 women are busy making things happen from what they received from Sebenzela Zimbabwe’s programme activities.

Like any successful partnership, the women’s group, Ward 27 Day Care Centre, has defied all the odds and decided to live by the saying; ‘The best is the person who gives you a fishing rod, than the one who always gives you fish.’

Also, Sebenzela Zimbabwe National Development Officer, Mr. Simon Spooner’s favourite quote; "Never, never give up for that is the time and place that the tide will turn", is yielding results in several community projects which are working hand in hand with ZDDT.

Quoting from what Gogo Matshuma of Ward 27 said to ZDDT News, the inspiration to produce good results from their garden came from Mr. Spooner’s regular visits.

“As if they have few things to do in their busy offices, Angela Mason is always visiting the wards, to check on progress,” gestured Thandazani Ndlovu of Ward 16 Nutrition garden.

From what I established as a Field Correspondent, the community I visited conferred the title of “Dr Spooner”, which is the honorary designation I am tempted to use when writing this feature.

According to Kirimuva Nutrition Garden Chairman, Jethro Mangena, “Dr” Spooner’s appearance at their garden always bring fortune and blessings. “From the day Dr Spooner bought us the fence, we have been realising many people coming to buy our vegetables and tomatoes.”

Keen to know why they only crowned “Dr” Spooner and excluded Mrs Angela Mason, “You don’t know that she is called ‘Queen Angela’,” exclaimed Elly Msipa, the nutritional garden’s Vice Chairperson.

I was left with no option but to just put their new titles into practice. ZDDT’s Agricultural Extension Officer, Edward Chikwayi, is another lucky man to have a nickname. They call him ‘Mdhumeni’ meaning somebody who usually assists with farming skills.

The new names are doing the rounds in the communities that deal with Sebenzela (ZDDT) which have something in common…success!

This Correspondent will next be visiting the Gwanda and Victoria Falls communities to see what they are also doing with the skills they acquired from ZDDT training.

Wards 13, 15, 16, 19 and 27 are bubbling with delight and are promising to be somewhere special come next year.
Ward 27 women, Silibaziso Torevasei, Rosemary Tshuma and Gledis Ndlovu are already in “gear number five” travelling fast with the skills they acquired from ZDDT’s nutritional garden manual. They have already started working on their Day-Care Centre which they intend to open soon.

“The repairs to our toilet and borehole, by ZDDT’ s Queen Angela, has given us the energy and vigour to accomplish our dream of a child day care centre and a women’s information centre,” concluded Rosemary Tshuma.