DOMA farmers operating at Kamfungu Village Business Unit (VBU) in Mbire are reaping the benefits after establishing a nutritional garden and embarking on fish farming under the DanChurchAid Ushingi Utariri Project. The five fish ponds were financed by the United Nations Development Programme through the Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF) , while the piped‑water scheme was funded by the Swedish Embassy. The project supported the construction of a two‑hectare garden, the drilling of a borehole, the installation of water tanks and a pump, and the erection of an electric fence to protect the crops.
The garden is tended by 22 members – five men and 17 women – who grow leafy vegetables, tomatoes, watermelons, cucumbers, okra and a variety of other crops. The members have also diversified and are now into beekeeping and fish farming. They have since sold 100 kg of fish from the first two ponds.
Kamfungu VBU members recently completed preparing three more ponds, which are awaiting stocking. Beneficiary, Mrs Gladys Kafamauro, said the garden and fish farming project had transformed her ability to provide for her family. “As a woman, I have to put food on the table, and that is not easy.
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Now we grow onions, tomatoes and other vegetables, so my children will never go hungry,” she said. “The project has also empowered us women; we now have an income‑generating project and can afford to buy food without having to ask our husbands for money. “It has brought economic independence to many of us, and we hope to keep expanding the project.” Kamfungu VBU secretary, Mr Elias Kasanhu, said the members had benefited a lot from the project as they now have access to fresh vegetables throughout the year.
“We now have access to fresh vegetables all year round thanks to irrigation. We used to run out of vegetables during the dry season, but now we supply the community,” he said.
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