The Jere family was struggling. The neighbours laughed at Mrs Jere because she used old cooking pots. Their children were always hungry, asking for food they could not provide. Mr Jere, a farmer, could never grow enough on their farm to make a living. It was a challenge to pay for their children’s school fees.
They were both deeply unhappy.
The family lives in Zimbabwe and faces food insecurity and financial instability. “We had challenges getting enough food for the household despite ploughing a large area. We harvested maize grain, which was not adequate to take us through to the next season,” said Mr Ernest Jere.
Our partner, Christian Care, empowered the family to grow their own Nutrition Garden. The Jere household received 5kg of maize seed, sorghum seed, and 5 litres of foliar fertiliser. They were also taught about conservation farming and small livestock production.
With ongoing support, the Jere family's self-sufficiency and resilience improved. “The best thing I gained from the intervention is knowledge, which has improved our lives,” narrated Ernest with a smile.
The support from Christian Care empowered the family, helping them increase their crop yields. Now they have more enough to feed their family and some extra from their harvests to sell and support their livelihood. The Jere household produced 13 bags (50kg each) of maize and 10 bags (50kg each) of sorghum.
Those who planted sorghum during the current drought season, like the Jeres, have done even better, as sorghum is more resilient than maize. Ernest sold 32 buckets in total. With the profit, the Jeres could pay school fees for their daughter. They also funded deep well digging and bought household necessities.
“I never used to follow conservation farming principles,” Ernest explained. Since receiving the training, Ernest has adhered to all the principles. "Including mulching, which I now consider the most important principle.”
The training also changed their household. “As a wife, I couldn’t afford modern pots and had to use clay pots for food preparation,” Mrs Jere said. This caused embarrassment among her friends. The family has a better income, and Mrs Jere is very excited to share: “I can now afford to buy kitchen utensils.”
During a local competition, the Jere family's farm won the best in their community. With their prizes, they have continued to develop their property. “I managed to fence my field,” Ernest said. He also shared that he is now capable of training other farmers.
The Jere family is happy and prepared for every season. “We are now resilient to shocks and stresses,” he said with a heart full of appreciation.
When you give the Great Gift of Nutrition Garden, you support our Zimbabwe partners to assist people like the Jere family.
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Christian Care’s Conservation Farming Project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP). It is funded and implemented in partnership with Act For Peace.