How Zimbabwe is slowly, but sustainably planting itself out of poverty

Can a grassroots movement offer a way to self-sufficiency and life improvement for some of the poorest people in the world? The answer is yes, and the solution lies in the actual grassroots.

A very rich, yet very poor country

After Zimbabwe gained its independence in 1980, its economy has been primarily dependent on mining and agriculture. Zimbabwe is home to the Great Dyke, the second largest platinum deposit globally, and also to more than four thousand gold deposits, amounting to an immense potential for its mining industry. 

Unfortunately, Zimbabwe is also a living example of the “rich country, poor citizens” paradox.  An inefficient mining sector, has led to a system where profits are kept by very few, and many toil for pennies with no long-term prospects of sharing in profits.

The Zimbabwean government’s support for the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the Second Congo War brought financial disaster, by draining its bank reserves, alienating allies, and prompting financial and economic sanctions from the US and EU. As the economy collapsed, the government began printing more money, leading to hyperinflation of the Zimbabwean dollar. The inflation rate in Zimbabwe reached its peak in November 2008, with a daily rate of 98%. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe printed the Z$100 Trillion note, so you could walk around with billions and trillions in your pocket and barely afford food. (Source: https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/390/inflation/hyper-inflation-in-zimbabwe/) 

As a result, almost 40% of Zimbabwe’s population of approximately 16.5 million people live in extreme poverty, and over 80% survive with less than $5.5 USD per day. (Source: worldpopulationreview.com)

About 70% of Zimbabweans work in agriculture, most practicing subsistence farming on small plots. This agricultural production is very vulnerable to periodic droughts, as small farms have access to less than 5% of national irrigation facilities, despite them producing almost 70% of staple foods (maize, millets, and groundnuts). The steady deforestation rate averaging  327,000 hectares lost annually since 1990 exacerbates the drought phenomenon. Zimbabwe ranks 3rd among African countries in terms of deforestation, after Sudan and Nigeria. (Source: fao.org)

Chronic malnutrition and stunting remain a major challenge in Zimbabwe, especially for children in rural areas, due to a combination of reduced food availability caused by poor agricultural performance and poverty, as well as poor food utilization due to lack of education. (Source: fao.org)

Giving back to the land, instead of just taking from it

With agriculture being the source of subsistence for so many Zimbabweans, it was only natural to look to it for solutions. But as large-scale, top-down investments in irrigation and farming subsidies seem next to impossible in the context of a collapsed economy and widespread corruption, the solutions had to come from elsewhere. 

Enter Foundations for Farming (FfF), an NGO founded in 1981, specializing in training small-scale farmers in all aspects of sustainable agriculture.

Sustainable agriculture promotes minimal soil disturbance and working together with natural ecosystems, instead of trying to control them. Some of the many benefits are less soil erosion, efficient water management, improved bio-density and bio-diversity, and more nutritious food. Climate-smart farming reduces the impact of droughts and makes plants stronger, resisting pests and diseases, without the need for expensive – and often inaccessible – pesticides and fertilizers.

“We specialize in training small-scale farmers in all aspects of sustainable farming. Through us, they learn the minimal requirements to be self-sufficient and how to generate a surplus from their land. With our best practices, the farmers escape poverty, have more nutritious diets, improve the environment, and are able to build a better future for themselves and their families. Our training is based on a holistic approach including personal transformation”, explains Dr. Matthew Mbanga, CEO of Foundations for Farming Trust Zimbabwe.

Small-scale training with large-scale impact

Foundations for Farming has, directly trained more than 30,000 farmers and instructors. On average farmers mentored by FfF get a yield of eight metric tons per hectare, twenty times more than the national Zimbabwe average of 0.4 T/ha for small-scale farmers.

Although they focus on small holdings, the Foundations for Farming principles have been applied from the smallest garden to the largest commercial farm. The FfF methodology was recognized and adopted at scale by the Zambian Government in 2002 with funding from the World Bank. In 2004 Zambia became a grain exporter for the first time in that nation’s history. 

The Zimbabwean government also formed a partnership with FfF in 2020 to equip 1.8 million farmers in Zimbabwe to implement the FfF method popularly known as Pfumvudza ( “new season” in Shona). In 2022, FfF was awarded the inaugural Partnership Award by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), for training all Government of Zimbabwe agricultural extension officers and bringing food security to 9 million Zimbabweans during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.

Foundations for Farming now has country offices and training stations in South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, Burundi, Rwanda, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States of America, and India.

“Many of our former trainees are passionate advocates for our methods in their own communities,” states Dr. Mbanga. “Through them, our principles have been taught to more than 3 million farmers around the world.”

Elderly widows, one of the poorest and most vulnerable social categories, are amongst the most faithful and committed trainees. Working with women has become part of the teaching strategy at FfF. 74% of training beneficiaries are women, moving from struggling to provide a livelihood for their families to becoming models and teachers for their own communities.

And if the poorest, most vulnerable, and neglected can escape poverty and become self-sufficient, then really anyone can. This is why we say that hope grows in the fields of Africa”.

Funding hope

Finding resources to accomplish the mission is a challenge every local NGO faces. FfF relies heavily on local donations and governmental agency grants such as USAID and FAO. However, reporting and application processes can be very time consuming and may overlook opportunities to serve people wholistically. Given this situation, FfF was encouraged to receive donations from international private donors that were more interested in investing in people and affecting lasting change.

But finding private donors, and then convincing them to help this organization out of the many out there, is not an easy feat. As Dr. Mbanga explains: “The main problem is lack of networking and exposure opportunities, preventing access to a wider range of funds, beyond the big grant makers that have standard application processes”.

This is where TrustBridge, and its global network of donors come in. Through TrustBridge, Foundations for Farming is able to connect to donors around the world who share the same values and believe in the same mission. Moreover, the TrustBridge team understands that each organization and each situation is unique, and works together with local charities to find solutions to their specific problems. As Dr. Mbanga puts it: “TrustBridge has a much more personal approach, allowing us to build a relationship with real people, not just with an email account”.

Now with a global partner in giving, Foundations for Farming is able to focus on its mission of all farmers becoming self-sufficient and escaping poverty while protecting and improving the environment. 

“We strive to create faithful stewards of resources and families. Our farmers don’t get handouts, they get training. The goal is to break the cycle of dependency on aid and rediscover a sense of strength and confidence in our own abilities. We, the people, are the greatest resource of any nation. And if the poorest, most vulnerable, and neglected can escape poverty and become self-sufficient, then really anyone can. This is why we say that hope grows in the fields of Africa”.

Foundations for Farming is one of the many African organizations supported by TrustBridge and its donors. If you would like to become a donor to FfF, you can do so directly here, or by contacting us.

Learn more about FfF at https://foundationsforfarming.org/ 

Photo credit: Foundations for Farming.