Farming takes women off the harsh informal streets

Kelvin Wilson Kasiwulaya

Gweru--Go Beer Breweries was once the talk of town in Gweru and surrounding places in the Midlands provinces.

Famed for its bulk beer, the company owned and run by the Gweru City Council (GCC) entertained thousands of its imbibing public and provided employment to many.

But the company was forced to fold in 2014 due to acute financial and operational problems.

The municipality, though, unbundled the entity into three units to focus on farming, manufacturing and real estate.

It leased out its multiple beer outlets and, in 2021, dedicated a few thousand dollars to kick-start diversified farming on the Go Beer Farm, a once abandoned stretch of land on the western outskirts of the Midlands capital.

The council dedicated a slim staff complement to run the farm but, over the years, opened up space to private citizens interesting in farming.

Captivating

Today, the once virgin land on the farm presents a captivating scene.

Rows upon rows of flourishing maize, pea tendrils and colossal cabbages adorn the landscape on the farm.

Some of the beneficiaries of this life-changing farming project are Anne Rupiya Mangurenje (57) and Chipo Tafireyi (48) from the populous suburb of Mambo in Gweru.

Their journey from struggling roadside vendors to custodians of this flourishing land tells a story of transformation and resilience.

For years, the two women battled Zimbabwe’s harsh economy, vending on the dry and dusty streets of Mambo to support their families.

Mangurenje began selling vegetables and sweets after her husband lost his teaching job, forcing her into the role of main breadwinner after two decades as a full-time housewife.

Similarly, Tafireyi, a single parent, sold fruits and vegetables to sustain her children.

Life as vendors was a daily grind, fraught with uncertainty and vulnerability. “I had no choice but to sell on the streets,” Mangurenje reflected. “Every day was a struggle, and we often faced run-ins with the municipal authorities.”

Municipal police regularly raid street side vendors and confiscate their goods.

The pressure for the two women was immense as they relied on whatever the streets offered just to put food on the table.

Their fortunes shifted when they became beneficiaries of the Welthungerhilfe Urban Resilience Project, which aims to foster sustainable agricultural practices and enhance food security for vulnerable communities.

According to Welthungerhilfe, the project seeks to strengthen the resilience of some 3,450 households to climate change-induced and economic shocks and focuses on Gweru and Chegutu in Mashonaland West province.

The non-profit organisation, a high-profile fighter against global hunger, invested $39,420 in agricultural infrastructure at Go Beer Farm to support 32 beneficiaries, among them Mangurenje and Tafireyi.

The project received one hectare of land for farming from the GCC.

The women underwent training from expert agronomists, learning essential skills ranging from crop rotation to soil health and irrigation techniques.

The Women’s Affairs ministry helped with the training.

“When we heard about the programme, we decided to seize the opportunity,” Mangurenje told NewsHub.

Excited by the new opportunity, they poured their hearts into this new endeavour, transforming neglected land into a thriving agricultural enterprise.

They were part of an initial team of 25, but many fell by the wayside due to frustration caused by failed harvests and negligible returns.

The group whittled down to six dedicated members, namely Mangurenje, Tafireyi, Esther Phiri, Chipo Tafireyi, Joyce Chikoto, Charles Mutava, and Hapson Govero.

This smaller and dedicated group finally found modest success in its farming endeavours.

“We started with 25 people, but some dropped out due to frustration,” Tafireyi recounted. “Eventually, we formed a smaller, more committed group of six. Working together has helped us farm more successfully. We’ve turned challenges into success.”

Smiles on their faces

Initially, they farmed individually, which resulted in poor yields.

However, collaborating as a team significantly improved their results.

Using irrigation, they are increasingly becoming adept in crop rotation.

The group has adopted a working division of labour model.

Mangurenje sells at the bustling Mtapa Open Marketplace with half of the team, a vibrant hub where the community converges.

Tafireyi and the other team members take the other produce to different markets in places like Mkoba and Mambo.

“We sell our produce at open markets in neighbouring communities such as Mtapa, Mkoba, and Mambo, ensuring that our community benefits from our farming endeavours,” Tafireyi affirmed.

“Our journey hasn’t been easy,” remarked Mangurenje, her voice carrying the weight of perseverance.

“From struggling as street vendors to cultivating a prospering plot, this project has provided for our families, allowing us to care for our children. We’ve received tremendous support from the community, and we’re proud to benefit our community with our produce and farming efforts,” she said warmly.

Their hard work has paid off.

“Farming has given us more than just subsistence. It has provided hope,” said Mangurenje. “We’ve moved from merely surviving to thriving, offering our families a better life.”

Today, the women embrace a unified farming strategy, cultivating vibrant crops that have turned their lives around. “These fields sustain not just us but also nourish our community,” Tafireyi remarked proudly.

Their success has come not without challenges.

Traditional gender roles often confine women to domestic spheres, but Mangurenje, Tafireyi and the other team members have defied these expectations. They assert that women are equally capable in agriculture. “Farming has no gender,” asserted Mangurenje. “Women can excel in this field just as well as men.”

The women grapple with additional challenges such as long distances to the farm and impassable routes during the rainy season but their determination to provide for their families drives them on.

They share the profits equally among themselves that sometimes come up to more than US$200 each per month.

On the vending streets, they hardly went beyond US$50 a month.

Cooperative 

Bolstered by their moderate success, the project beneficiaries have formed a cooperative that they have named The Mambo Farmers’ Cooperative Society Limited.

“The training we received from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs was impactful as we learned more about the business side and gained vital information, empowering us to form this cooperative, which we are currently in the process of registering,” said Mangurenje.

As Mangurenje and Tafireyi reflect on their journey, they view farming as more than merely a livelihood.

It has become a source of pride and empowerment. “These fields sustain not just us but our community,” Mangurenje noted proudly, pointing to their flourishing crops.

Matthias Spaeth, the Welthungerhilfe country director, emphasised the importance of including women in agriculture and recognising their potential.

He told NewsHub: “Women possess strengths such as resilience, discipline, and hard work, which are invaluable in farming and business.”

The Gweru council deputy mayor, Nayaradzo Madzikura, also encouraged support for the initiative and urged the farmers to continue their transformative work.

In Zimbabwe, women constitute 61 percent of farmers in rural areas and about 70 percent of the labour force.

However, women are predominantly subsistence farmers, while commercial farming remains male-dominated.