Story of Rhoda’s experience in the low-input garden project

Christian Care Zimbabwe began a low input garden project to establish agriculture projects that are adaptable to the effects of climate change in nutritionally vulnerable communities. Recently, Christian Care Zimbabwe shared the story of Rhoda and her experience in participating in the low input garden project. 

Rhoda aged 62 and widowed is a participant in the low input garden project that was established in the Zamchiya Village. Her household is among the nutritionally vulnerable households in her village. The arrival of the support from the sustainable development grant to establish a low input gardens was her “liberation” as she says in her own words. She was one of the first farmers to start a keyhole garden near her home with the assistance of other members of their cluster of farmers.  She is very excited about the program. Even though she has only planted the seeds for vegetables and is waiting to harvest them, she already is anticipating a huge positive change in her situation as far as access to vegetables for her family is concerned. “It feels like a huge burden has been lifted from my shoulders,” she said.  Of the many advantages of the keyhole garden, she picked the moisture conservation and the raised platform as some of the biggest benefits that the keyhole garden has made so far. “Now I can work comfortably in the garden every day, because I do not have to bend over a lot when the platforms are raised.” she said, “My two older grandchildren help with some of the smaller garden chores such as watering and weeding, because the garden is close to home.”