Restoring rivers & hope
To learn how the USAID-funded ENSURE programme has impacted the life of his family and community, World Vision Zimbabwe spoke with Mr. Tongai Chipiro. This is his story in his own words:
Chosen
I am a native of Gudyanga. I got a plot of land in the Gudyanga Irrigation Scheme after its establishment in 1996. I became part of the ENSURE project in May, 2014 after World Vision and its partners came to our ward. I became part of this project to volunteer in the reclamation of Mapuyuyu River, which had been slowly but steadily destroying our livelihoods. My fellow community members chose me to become the local project leader in May, 2014, when we registered 180 members to become the workforce that would help construct the storm embankment.
The beginning of woes
Our problems started in 2005 after heavy rains hit upstream in the Usongore area. The Mapuyuyu River that passes through our area flooded heavily, destroying crops and land. The floods left heavy sand, silt and debris deposits that severely affected the river channel, fields and the irrigation scheme. Most crops were buried in sand, so were toilets, storerooms, offices and water canals. Many farmers harvested nothing.
That year marked the beginning of our woes.
Our harvests started to decline as agricultural land became prone to flooding every rainy season. We were failing to earn enough money agricultural inputs and school fees. As such, we started pulling children out of school because we were unable to afford the school fees. Crop diversity was affected since most farmers resorted to only growing traditional crops, such as maize. The food security situation started to decline year-after-year and poor yields meant that we could no longer have diverse diets. There was an upsurge in disease outbreaks, which affected the health and nutrition of families.
Mr. Chapiro proudly displays the embankment constructed with the help of 180 community members to mitigate flooding
Trained & tested
The ENSURE project came to our area to help alleviate our plight. Apart from the Food for Assets programme, it has introduced a supplementary feeding for children under 2 years and pregnant mothers who receive corn soy blend plus porridge and cooking oil. It also introduced Village Savings and Loan Associations, which are open to everyone. Agricultural programmes have been giving us skills in farming practices and crop marketing. We are being taught ways to reduce the impact of disasters.
For every 15 days my family works on the embankment wall, we receive 50 kilos of sorghum. My wife and l alternate who works. My family also benefits from the agriculture and marketing trainings that ENSURE has introduced. I have attended trainings on Gender and have personally been able to practice this at home and in society. Men from my village now respect views and input from women, something that we did not agree to previously.
Meals ensured
As a family we are enjoying the benefits of being in the programme. We now have a constant supply of sorghum. My wife and l have more time to engage in other livelihood activities because we know that we have a meal on our table every day.
We have managed to grow tomatoes, onions, beans and peas in our plot and have been able to earn extra cash to cater to other family needs. I have managed to clear off my debt at the school, and buy school uniforms for my children. I bartered some of the beans for fertilizer—this gives me hope for an improved harvest. Our diet is improving since we can now afford to buy meat here and there.
We are in the process of reclaiming our land and infrastructure that had been damaged by the floods, since we have harnessed the flooding of the Mapuyuyu River with the embankment. We are employing the new farming skills on our plot; this has contributed to an improved harvest for the family.
Vaina, a plot holder in the Gudyanga Irrigation Scheme, sells produce along the road to supplement her household income
Family unity
The most significant change in my household is on family relations. The gender and leadership trainings that l have participated in have enabled me to have a changed perception about my family, especially my wife. We are now able to share household chores. My wife no longer feels oppressed. Our relationship is now much better when compared to the past years.
By respecting and working together with my wife and family, we have been able to achieve greater things. In less than 6 months, we have been able to steadily but surely recover from shocks that have beseeched my family for the past years. A horizon of hope is already flickering ahead of us. Very soon I may be able to expand my farming into more lucrative horticulture crops. This would only be possible because of the combined efforts brought about by family unity and the joy that comes with it.
Uplifting spirits
My children are going to receive education to whatever level their potential affords them and my dream of becoming an entrepreneur can be realised. I will also be able revive the legacy of farming in my family. I would want to become a fully-fledged master horticulture farmer and be the community role model. Hopefully the council will avail more land for us to expand our irrigation scheme.
As a community, we hope to move forward with successful cropping and good harvests. Irrigation will remain the mainstay of our farming. If we mass produce using the irrigation scheme, this will mean a drop in local food prices and more affordability and availability of food for my community. If there is more cash in the community then maybe more people will establish micro-enterprises that will uplift our community. We also hope to see a community that is at peace, where the men respect women and engage them in community decision-making.
Such prevailing harmony will help us work together to uplift our lives.
This project is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this webpage are the responsibility of World Vision, Inc. and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.