Thriving against adversity: Takunda interventions ...

Thriving against adversity: Takunda interventions transform people’s lives

Edmore Zvinonzwa

The term “takunda” literally means we have succeeded against, defeated or conquered adversity in the Zimbabwean Shona language.

The civil society organisation Takunda has brought smiles to many households in the district, without doubt one of the driest in the country, through recipient participatory interventions aimed at transforming the lives of the vulnerable while building resilience in the population.

And true to the CSO’s name, Takunda - based at Jerera Growth Point, in Zaka, Masvingo Province - the villagers have triumphed over adversity.

Accommodating a total of 50 families, the Chitakuza Nutrition Garden project draws its membership from Chikati, Chitakuza, Jojo, Musenyi, Matanda and Mavhima villages that fall under ward 4 of Zaka North constituency.

Vulnerable groups, especially hitherto financially-deprived rural women, can now stand up and provide testimony on the value the Takunda intervention has brought.

Farmer Business Facilitator for the Chitakuza Nutrition Garden project, Charles Chengwe told Zim Now that the project has transformed their lives as they now access cash through selling vegetables.

“This project has transformed our lives. The manner and frequency in which we access cash has changed. We are always selling vegetables and, at home, we always have vegetables for food.

“We no longer struggle to raise food for our children. Takunda has moved us away from desperation. The different food varieties on our product list is endless and these have improved diets in households,” Chengwe told Zim Now.

He pointed out that they grow an assortment of vegetables, which include beetroot, butternuts, cabbages, rape, spinach, carrots and tomatoes among other crops.

Chengwe said Takunda provided solar-powered water tanks as well as taps in and outside the garden.

“Although the taps allow for easy watering of crops, some people are yet to procure hose pipes,” said Chengwe.

He added that all members benefitted immensely from the training workshops that Takunda provided, starting with the Farmer Field Business School.

The surrounding community, Chengwe also said, now had access to clean, safe drinking water.

Chengwe’s wife, weighed in saying as women, they do not just sit idle but grow nutritious foods such as butternuts.

“As women, we benefit from selling our produce and our families have become healthier.

“The gardening project has allowed us to start savings clubs (mikando). We are able to buy basic commodities such as cooking oil, washing soap and others something we hitherto could not do easily.

“Before Takunda came in, we only heard about other communities over the radio and never thought we could grow these vegetables ourselves.

“We pride ourselves with the knowledge that we now possess since this Takunda project began,” she added.

The organisation has also trained business development facilitators as well as market facilitators among other community workers, who help them in marketing their produce, which includes enriched porridge – made from maize meal, groundnuts, nyimo, nyemba and dried ground pumpkin leaves among others.

Chitakuza village head, Modern Chitakuza said when he heard that Takunda wanted to establish a project in the area, he could not hide his joy.

“I have always ben pro-development and I offered them land on which to establish the nutrition garden. I am also part of the project and I have witnessed people’s lives being transformed.

“Climate patterns have changed across the world, including Zimbabwe, which makes maize farming not viable and, as such, gardening has come in as a crucial complement for villagers. People are now growing vegetables both for sale and for their own consumption,” he said.

Fifty-four-year-old Josephine Mulungushi-Zvinonzwa, who is a mother of four, says Takunda came in at the right time and has transformed the lives of the community significantly.

“Winters are usually our most difficult times as women in terms of relish. Traditionally, women carry the heavier burden when it comes to preparing food for the family.

“Immediately after harvesting, we normally start working on our gardens but then the gardens are at the mercy of cattle, goats, pigs and other livestock that will be roaming around, at times destroying the little vegetables we would have planted in the gardens,” she reckons, adding that the major reason is that the gardens are not properly fenced.

Mulungushi-Zvinonzwa said the Chitakuza project is secured by a very high security fence, with lockable gates and has toilets, which are accessible even to the physically-challenged.

Those who live close to the garden, she said, have access to clean and safe drinking while those coming from a distance can also carry small containers of drinking water back home after working in the garden.

“Besides people, there is a water trough for our cattle outside the garden.

When this project began, most people hesitated because clearing the land was energy-sapping but we are all smiles now because of the way our hard work is being rewarded handsomely. Takunda has changed many people’s lives in the community,” she said.

Tomatoes, which are usually scarce and expensive during winter because of the cold, are now bountiful, she added.

“We have a bountiful supply of tomatoes and other vegetables such as rape, spinach and carrots and these have had a huge impact on our diet and, as a result, nutrition and health, all due to the support of Takunda in the Chitakuza project,” she added.

Although no official comment could be obtained from Takunda at the time of writing, the organisation has other projects running across other wards of Zaka District, including a floor polish-making project based near Chigwagwa Primary School in ward 4 and yet another nutrition garden that is taking shape in ward 23, near Gumbo Clinic, Zaka Central constituency.