The Sunday Mail
Tendai Rupapa in NGUNDU
AGRIC4SHE patron Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa yesterday spent time with thousands of women who are undergoing extensive training in livestock production, in a development expected to enhance their contribution to the country’s economic development through the Livestock4She initiative.
The women are so grateful that Agric4She will make a difference in their lives.
Training is being held at the homestead of Mrs Francisca Cheshango-Marufu, who is actively involved in mixed agriculture through crop production, animal husbandry and fisheries.
Agric4SHE patron First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa feeds fish, part of which she donated and she planted at Mrs Francisca Cheshango-Marufu’s homestead in Chivi yesterday. Pictures: John Manzongo
Mrs Marufu’s homestead in Ward 27, Ngundu, Chivi South, has been identified as one of Masvingo’s Agric4She centres of excellence or farmer field school, where women from the area receive knowledge on small-scale livestock production from Agritex officers.
The Agric4She programme encompasses Pfumvudza4She, Livestock4She, Fisheries4She, Horticulture4She, NEAPS4She and Mechanisation4She.
Under Livestock4She, the First Lady is encouraging women farmers to start initiatives in livestock rearing.
Those who are already doing so are willing to share their expertise with other new farmers to fulfil the First Lady’s vision.
To encourage the farmers, Dr Mnangagwa donated fingerlings to boost the fisheries project in the community and further engaged the women on the importance of fish farming.
Agric4SHE patron First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa distribute farming inputs for Pfumvudza4SHE to women in Masvingo Province yesterday.
In addition, all women received seed maize, sunflower seed, vegetable combo seeds and fertilisers for Pfumvudza4She, courtesy of their patron Dr Mnangagwa.
In her remarks, Dr Mnangagwa said she was happy to meet aspiring women farmers and exchange notes with them on various subjects related to farming.
She urged women to venture into all components of the Agric4She initiative in order to improve food security and household income.
The crowds that attended First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa’s interactive session during a training in livestock production in Masvingo Province yesterday.
Furthermore, she commended rural women who make up the majority of smallholder farmers for their contribution to the country’s agricultural value chain.
“The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development is respecting the success of women; it then named the programme Agric4She, and I was made patron so that we work together as we educate one another from girls, the newly married, the elderly. And we said come along and we learn together so that those who are not yet married will learn for the sake of places they will go,” she said.
“Again, the department of agriculture has 16 to 20 percent of products that are exported, bringing in 40 percent exports. It is therefore critical to see that women have a great role in farming. I am glad that Agric4She shows that women have a part to play inasmuch as men have their role to play. It does not matter what church one attends or political party, but, as a mother, I have come for all womenfolk. If we work together, we become united. Rural-based women help the country in terms of agriculture. Women are hardworking and we saw that they were lagging behind. Women are the backbone in terms of food availability.”
To fulfil the role they play in terms of food self-sufficiency, Dr Mnangagwa said women should not be looked down upon, but should be honoured.
“To fulfil the aspirations of food security and nutrition under Vision 2030, there is need for women who farm and work hard to transform their way of life through yields and the money they realise at household level. When you get the money, it needs a woman who is organised.
“Under the National Development Strategy blueprint, Agricultural and Food Systems Transformation Strategy, the department of agriculture needs the transformation of services through the involvement of women.
“Last year, 17 519 women received fertiliser, seed and chemicals under the Pfumvudza yeAgric4She programme, and, up to this day, we have the seeds which are not for sale. There are vulnerable groups like the elderly, widows, orphans and those with disabilities who failed to access inputs under the Presidential Input Scheme and are the ones I started giving inputs under Agric4She.
“This year, we intend to work with the department of agriculture under the theme ‘Going for growth.’ The department of agriculture came up with the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy that was enunciated in August 2020. This seeks to further farming methods that end challenges in the country. This includes having women who farm and rear animals,” she said.
Dr Mnangagwa asked the gathering what Livestock4She means, eliciting a myriad of responses from the gathering.
She then spoke about Poultry4She.
“Here we are stressing the importance of rearing chickens to women. The Government is attaching importance to rearing chickens among women. It is giving chickens to every household. I implore you women to look after these chickens so that they multiply and bring change to your families.”
On Goats4She, she said: “Under this programme women are encouraged to rear goats at their homesteads. Government is distributing 600 000 she-goats to our communities. We are also getting 35 000 he-goats per village. The he-goats will give us high-quality meat. Please do not slaughter these goats without managing projects.”
Under Piggery4She, Dr Mnangagwa said she was glad women were also looking after pigs and encouraged them to also venture into beekeeping.
On NEAPS4She, Dr Mnangwagwa said: “Command Agriculture is now called NEAPS, zvichireva kuti National Enhanced Agriculture Productivity Scheme. Therefore, NEAPS4She is there to support women through banks such as AFC, CBZ and Stanbic. Madzimai mashoma chaizvo muNEAPS, vanosvika 17 percent. Our participation is very low, hence I have come to encourage you madzimai to participate and be part of NEAPS4She.”
Amai Mnangagwa also expressed her wish to enhance women’s participation in the production of cash crops.
First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa interacts and counsels school children in Chivi yesterday.
Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Ezra Chadzamira expressed gratitude for the First Lady’s programmes.
“Today we are overjoyed with this farming programme. We are benefitting from your programmes as we look forward to Vision 2030. Your work of empowering the nation is benefitting us, especially because women were lagging behind in terms of farming. Behind every man’s success there is a woman. As a country, we are grateful Amai,” he said.
Mrs Francisca Cheshango-Marufu was upbeat about the First Lady’s visit.
“Today I am happy that at 70 I have been visited by the First Lady in our village. I have been visited by our mother, at my homestead here in Ward 27, and this has never happened before. At this homestead, I rear chickens, goats, cattle, pigs, fish and produce crops. Amai encourages us not to sit on our laurels. My children have no challenges attending school, as I now have money to send them to school.
“I also no longer ask for money to buy small things like salt from my husband, as I can now do this on my own. We were uplifted as women and we no longer gossip, and we are now focusing on improving our livelihoods through Amai,” she said.
Mrs Tatenda Moyo could not hide her joy.
“I am happy Amai is doing wonders for us and has never missed an opportunity to empower us as women. Today we received inputs from Amai and she also boosted our community fishery project; we are grateful,” she said.
The same sentiments were echoed by Mrs Laiza Mukono.
“Amai vedu, the First Lady, means business and has always been for the upliftment of the standard of living for women. Our mother has great love and we need to repay that with success and hard work so that we make her proud.
“We shall make use of the projects she has taught us and given us to sustain our families and enhance our contribution to agriculture,” she said.
