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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]

MPOMPINI Nutrition Garden in Insiza District has not only helped enhance the livelihoods of villagers in the area but is also benefiting nearby schools as farmers supply the institution with horticulture produce to feed learners.

The project was established in 2008 and started with 11 members who were operating small individual gardens using water from Mpompini Wetland.

The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) came in and helped the community to integrate their gardens to establish a one-and-a-half-hectare garden as part of efforts to rehabilitate the wetland. The agency also erected a fence around the garden. A nursery and orchard have also been established.

With 100 members, the project is growing vegetables with plans underway to introduce more cash crops.

Mpompini Nutrition Garden chairperson Mr Kaufman Sibanda said six villagers were benefiting from the community project.

“Initially when this project started it had 11 people who were operating as individuals running their gardens. The people were not aware that their operations were harmful to the environment,” he said.

“They used to cut down trees to fence off their gardens and they used to go into the wetland to collect water for their crops.

“When EMA came in they made us realise that we were sitting on a treasure and there was a lot more we could do if we were united. The one-hectare garden was established and 100 people came on board. A fence was erected so that we don’t use the harmful method of cutting trees to fence off our garden,” he said.

A member of the nutritional garden, Ms Beauty Nkomo, said the garden has helped them ensure that they have a source of livelihood for their families. She said they sell the vegetables to neighbouring communities. Ms Nkomo said plans are underway to introduce more cash crops, which will add nutritional value to the community. She said they have also received extension support from Agritex on crop rotation and farming as a business.

“Our focus is to improve our production and the training we have received from Agritex has helped to open our eyes. We will be introducing more cash crops to improve our income,” said Ms Nkomo.

“We will also be adopting better farming practices as this is a crucial project for us. We are relieved that EMA is working on installing a drip irrigation system for us because collecting water in buckets to water the crop has been a challenge for the elderly,” she said.
EMA Matabeleland South Provincial Manager, Mr Decent Ndlovu, said a borehole has been drilled outside the wetland and efforts are underway to solarise it. He said fish farming and bee keeping project will also be introduced.

“This is one of the wetlands in the province, which we look forward to rehabilitate. At Mpompini we have fenced off an area of two hectares so that we can keep animals out. We also fenced off a nutrition garden,” he said.

“We have also drilled a borehole outside the wetland as we don’t want people going inside the wetland to collect water for their crops. It will be solarised and a drip system will be installed so that people can access water easier and for best farming practices.”

Masiyephambili village head, Mr Michael Mahlangu, said once all these works are done, the lives of people will greatly improve. He said this will also help people to value and protect the wetland as they will see its benefits.