Education Drive in Bulawayo’s Community Gardens Continues

By Chris Tabvura, ZDDT Reporter

Bulawayo, Zimbabwe - A recent visit, by one of Zimbabwe’s senior agricultural journalists and magazine publisher, Kari Olivey, boosted the hopes of Bulawayo’s community urban farming sector.

Olivey also took her time to educate the community farmers on how to protect their vegetables and tomatoes from insects.

“You should make use of egg shells to protect your vegetables from snails. Also onions are another remedy to keep worms away from your garden.” She advised.

The tour with Olivey was also an educative moment for the farmers who kept asking her for more home-grown ideas on improving their skills.

Members of a Ward 19 garden, in Old Pumula, which has been receiving assistance through partnership with ZDDT, expressed their hopes and appreciation following another visit from both local and international delegates, hosted by Sebenzela-Shandira Zimbabwe.

Kirimuva Gardens’ previous international visit was in July when the Australian Parliamentary Delegation visited the community project, whose impressive development caught the eye of the members.

According to the garden’s chairperson Jethro Mangena, ZDDT has been a blessing to the whole community, as evidenced by their motivation and hard work.

“The organisation (ZDDT) has been more like a father and mother to a number of orphans, old and young. I am impressed and humbled by the way they recognise us. They are always checking on our upkeep and operations. With this kind of assistance, we will, next year, aim to please them with good yields and best results,” said the chairperson.

Lillian Msipha, who is the project’s deputy, added:

“We are actually at a loss of words as to how we can describe the partnership efforts shown by ZDDT. They trained our orphans into Citizen Journalism, and we are now international, because of their maximum support. We will keep praying to the almighty to bless the organisation, so that they can do the same to the entire country.”

According to the members, who took turns to praise Sebenzela-Shandira Zimbabwe, they are also on a drive to help other disadvantaged in the neighbourhood, such as old people’s homes and orphanages, by donating a proportion of their farming produce in the true spirit of a caring community.