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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Chronicle Reporter
THE majority of people under Chief Ndondo’s area in Mbembesi, Matabeleland North province, are elderly persons after most young people left leaving senior citizens with the burden of looking after their grandchildren.

Over the years, the elderly people were able to fend for their grandchildren following the establishment of a one-hectare garden in 2000 through funding from the Canadian Embassy with assistance from Help Age.

The Vusisizwe Garden Project in Mabheleni Village now faces collapse if no help comes along.

The garden’s perimeter fence has been pulled down and their crops are now being destroyed by livestock.

A total of 40 beneficiaries, 31 of them elderly persons, are looking for assistance to erect a new perimeter fence and upgrade their water system.

Farmers at the garden have been relying on borehole water to irrigate their crops. This is labour intensive for the elderly as they have to draw water from the borehole and carry it in buckets to water their crops.

The farmers normally cultivate different types of vegetables and maize for their consumption as well as for sale to the locals.

In an interview the garden’s chairperson, Gogo Angelinah Bulala (75) who visited the Chronicle offices yesterday seeking assistance, said they were now struggling to produce because of the animals that were destroying their crops because there is no perimeter fence.

“We are facing a great challenge as farmers from Vusisizwe Garden. When this garden was established in the year 2000 it really served its purpose just like its name as it revived food and nutrition security in our homes.

Now we are facing a challenge as animals such as goats and cattle are constantly invading our garden and destroying the crops,” she said.

“We need a perimeter fence to secure our crops. We also need an engine to pump water from the borehole to our plots. It is now difficult for us as elderly persons to carry water to irrigate the crops using buckets,” she said.

Gogo Bulala said their garden was a food source for a number of villagers in the area.

She said farmers with pieces of land in the garden are not just producing for their own consumption but also for sale to the local community.

Gogo Bulala said if they could get a better water source they will be able to produce more and sell more to the community.

She said some of the elderly people that were operating from the garden were looking after disabled children and the income they get from selling their produce assisted them to fend for their families.

Gogo Bulala said unless they get a new perimeter fence, it was impossible to continue cultivating crops at the garden.

“This garden has played a significant role to our livelihoods. We have managed to get food to feed our families and we have also managed to get income from selling our produce. Our source of livelihood is now under threat and if we could get an improved water source and perimeter fence then we would be better off,” she said.

Gogo Bulala said she and her fellow elderly farmers were raring to go and were eager to continue producing.

Chief Ndondo from Mbembesi said the garden project had significantly contributed to food and nutrition security within the community. He said the population in his area is largely elderly people as most youngsters have left the country for South Africa. He said elderly people that have been left to fend for their grandchildren were producing most of their food from the garden.

Chief Ndondo said people from his area were generally faced with water challenges as some had to walk over three kilometres to reach the nearest borehole. He said a solar powered piped water system would be ideal as it will not only benefit the farmers but the entire community.

“The population in my area is largely elderly people because youths are flocking to South Africa.
These elderly people struggle to get water as they have to walk long distances. For starters it would really help if we get a solar powered piped water system at the garden and then have it extended to the rest of the community,” he said.

Chief Ndondo said there was also a need to motivate the youths that remained in the area to ensure that they take a leading role in community development projects. He said there was a dam in the area which had the capacity to supply the area as well as neighbouring districts but it was heavily silted.

Chief Ndondo said they had engaged the local authority over the silted dam and hope their problem will be attended to.

“This dam can lead to the establishment of more gardens and irrigations in the area which will be key to food and nutrition security. For now, we appeal to well-wishers to assist Vusisizwe Garden Farmers because that garden has really helped the elderly and their grandchildren,” he said.—@DubeMatutu