A grassroots village business unit in Chipinge East is empowering women, enhancing food security, reducing malnutrition, and fostering economic independence.

The Muwango VBU, originally a small nutrition garden launched in 2013, has now grown into a vital source of income and sustenance for women in the area.

By engaging in horticulture, smart agriculture, and savings groups, the women have gained financial independence and are contributing meaningfully to their communities.

“I was married at 16 and my husband was very abusive, and every time I would ask for money for food he would constantly beat me but ever since I started working on these project, I have become self-sufficient and am now self-reliant and even at home there is now peace my husband now even respects and doesn’t beat me,” a gender based violence survivor said.

“There was no peace in my house, my husband and I were always fighting because there was nothing to eat and when I heard about these groups, I decided to join. At first it caused friction at home because my husband did not want me to come, but eventually he agreed because he could see the benefits as I was now bringing fresh produce home and even money from the produce we were selling here,” another beneficiary said.

These testimonials reveal the transformational impact of the Muwango Village Business Unit, which has since evolved from a 2013 nutrition garden project.

Initially composed of 30 members, the group has since expanded to 85 women.

They cultivate marketable crops, pool their earnings through village savings “isles,” and reinvest in homes and education, with some even constructing houses with their profits.

As women increasingly contribute financially, gender-based violence cases have been sharply reduced in the community.

“From this garden, I can now send my children to school, and I can provide for them. We are also getting nutritious food from the garden, so the whole family is healthy,” a parent said.

“We started in 2013, we were just 30, but now we are 85, we are being taught smart agricultural practices. This garden has really assisted me because we were taught how to do isles, so after selling our produce, we would then use the money to put into the isle savings. I even managed to build a house using the money. Even gender based violence cases in the area have declined because of these clubs and projects,” Secretary for Batanai Garden, Mrs Thandiwe Nyowani said.

The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development is providing key technical guidance to various village business units.

“Here at Batanai Garden, we have 85 girls we are helping with agriculture, especially horticultural produce. We are also helping them with crop rotation so that they are able to feed their families and also sell the surplus,” Agritex Officer with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Mr Costain Zhande said.

Empowered through strong partnerships with the government, over 80 women at Muwango village business unit now grow nutritious crops, generate income, and reclaim agency over their lives.