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THE STORY OF TSUROTSURO’s birthplace – Chikukwa

The Chimanimani hare, TSURO, an indicator of diversity and health in the natural resources and a symbol of wisdom in the face of adversity in human folklore, began its life as a young hare in the foothills of the Chimanimani Mountains in the Chikukwa Communal Land.

In the early 1990s, the people of Chikukwa, having watched the devastating effects of a particularly heavy storm on their soil, decided to do something as a community about management of their natural resources. Slowly but surely, through group and individual efforts, they began to manage their resources more sustainably. And slowly but surely their landscape began to change. From a landscape that was starting to degrade quite quickly it became one that was improving. This was a remarkable feat in a country where almost everywhere landscapes are degrading at varying rates. Springs that had dried up reappeared, their crystal clear, life-giving water a fitting indicator of the changes that the Chikukwa community had brought to their small corner of

Chimanimani district.

Behind what happened in Chikukwa lay the support of its leadership, particularly the traditional leaders. As custodians of the natural resources, they recognised the strength of the process that was happening and its links to keeping alive many aspects of a traditional way of life. They shared their experiences with other traditional leaders in Chimanimani District.

Furthermore, through the Chikukwa Permaculture Centre, many visitors came to Chikukwa, including those from other parts of Chimanimani District. All this led to a growing interest to share the experiences of Chikukwa further afield. In 1999, a variety of individuals and stakeholders, including the Chimanimani Conservation Committee, began to design a programme under the name TSURO: Towards Sustainable Use of Resources Organisation. Contacts with ITDG led to the support of this programme by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation as from December 1999.The young hare was ready to set out on an adventurous journey into the district.

2000 - Reaching out to the wider district

In 2000 a small team of Antonetta Takawira, Ulrich Westermann and Alias Mulambo launched the TSURO initiative with the aim “to strengthen the capacity of rural communities in Chimanimani District to sustain their resource base through ecological land use management”. They responded to letters of request for assistance??. Although these were coming from different parts of the district, they decided to focus initially on three wards.

Working closely with the traditional leadership, the team conducted a number of two-day awareness sessions in which they introduced TSURO and its approach. Groups began to put in proposals to the team, to build a dam, for example, or to fence a garden. Individuals began to apply what they had learnt in the introductory training sessions to their own gardens, fields and homesteads. At the same time farmers went on exchange visits to Chikukwa to learn directly from the residents about how they had been managing their resources. Some farmers also visited Nyahode Union Learning Centre to learn more specifically about water harvesting techniques.

TSURO had what it called the three-legged pot approach. The three legs were: training,

establishment of on the ground projects and organisational development.

Word of mouth, or was it the TSURO News that was published from time to time, spread word of the young TSURO’s activities. Demand for its services grew. One of the basic values of the founding team was that of “justice” and in the light of this value they decided that the programme should aim to cover the whole district. The hare was now fully-grown and ready to take on the world.

2001 - The Big Launch

In September 2001 TSURO held a conference that was pivotal in its history. This meeting brought together representatives from 21 out of the 23 wards of Chimanimani and launched the TSURO Association. The representatives at the conference elected a management committee that was the forerunner of a District Board. A number of traditional leaders attended the conference and blessed it with traditional rites. Appropriately, the Chikukwa Permaculture Centre hosted the 2001 conference where delegates formed a vision for their district. They urged that TSURO should look beyond permaculture/sustainable agriculture practices to include processing and marketing of agricultural products and issues relating to health and nutrition.

2002 - Strategic Planning

2002 was a year of strategic planning and expansion for TSURO. There now was demand for the wise hare in all corners of the district. 132 village groups joined the newly founded TSURO dzeChimanimani Association and came to be known as TSURO Village Groups or TVGs in the TSURO lingo. The TSURO board became active taking over the policy-making role for the organisation, which up until then had been in the hands of the founding team of three. Very sadly one member of this pioneer team, Antonetta Takawira, died unexpectedly in mid-2002. It was a sad chapter in the TSURO journey.

Having set its own course, TSURO was now ready to engage other stakeholders, confident that they would not dominate. A variety of stakeholders and TSURO representatives participated in strategic planning workshops for what had become their three areas of focus: sustainable agriculture and natural resource management, community based agro-processing and marketing, and community health and nutrition. From now on TSURO would strive to work closely with other players in the development field. Also in 2002, TSURO carried out a district wide survey into marketing issues.

On the financial support front, Kellogg had continued to fund TSURO and by 2002 GTZ was supporting some initial work to promote the Zunde raMambo concept. EED funded some of the strategic planning, with bigger support in mind. WFD also came in with small support, looking forward to being able to work with TSURO on a longer-term programme. VeCO backed some experimentation work with farmers. TSURO had a healthily diverse funding base, from Kellogg with 45% of the funds to VeCO with 7%.

In 2002 the number of staff expanded rapidly. TSURO recruited a community facilitator from each of the 21 wards in which it was working. The process followed a combination of election and selection. Firstly, the wards elected a number of people who they felt would make good facilitators from their ward. Then a selection panel made up of TSURO board and staff members interviewed and selected who they felt to be the most appropriate. The staff went from three to 27 in 2002. The hare was now bounding to all corners of the district.

After much consultation in October 2002, the Board adopted the TSURO dzeChimanimani constitution. Board committees came into play, covering the areas of staffing, policy, training, finance, and projects. During all this time TSURO had been learning about working in a politically volatile district and came out clearly with a non-partisan approach to its work, which it worked hard to enshrine. Despite this not being easy, TSURO has contributed significantly to reducing divisions within communities, helping people to

see the separation of party politics and development work.

2003 – TSURO reaches out far and wide

2003 saw a big increase in sustainable agriculture and natural resource management project activities. TSURO divides these projects into two broad categories: group projects which request material support from TSURO and family projects which do not receive any material support from TSURO. The group projects increased from 16 to 48 in 2003 and the family projects from 267 to 1194. Four of the five donors mentioned above continued their support of TSURO, with EED now providing 50%, Kellogg 29%, GTZ 12%, VeCO 6% and TSURO raising 3% itself.

In 2003 TSURO held its first AGM in Biriiri and appointed its first Executive Director from its board to ensure a close link between the management team and the board. The staff compliment grew from 27 to 32.

Launching the Health and Marketing Components

Early in 2004 the manager for the Community Health and Nutrition component began her work and launched programmes on HIV/AIDS awareness, peer education, nutrition gardens, home design for better sanitation, and toilet construction.

In the same year TSURO recruited members of staff for its Community based agro processing and marketing component. This included a manager, one officer in charge of each of three depots (one each in Chimanimani, Nhedziwa and Nyanyadzi), twelve security guards and a security officer. TSURO had also acquired a company called TECMIZ off the shelf. It was TECMIZ that bought the office and depot in Chimanimani. The aim was to keep the commercial activities of marketing separate from donor funded work. The marketing department pursued a number of directions: for example, training of marketing representatives

from the ward committees in marketing skills and construction of solar driers, buying and selling of honey and beans, facilitating a contract between National Breweries and 120 farmers to grow red sorghum,

2004 - Funding Setback

TSURO had a major funding setback early in 2004 when the German Government refused to support the WFD application for funding of the sustainable agriculture and natural resource management component. They based this decision on allegations that TSURO slanted its support towards ZANU-PF members. This followed earlier allegations by some other people that TSURO oriented itself towards the MDC. It couldn’t win either way! Fortunately for TSURO, EED had become an enthusiastic backer of its work and in 2004 EED provided over 95% of its funds.

While marketing and health activities increased substantially during the year, the number of projects falling under sustainable agriculture and NRM stayed about the same as in 2003. This was partly due to lack of funding and to difficulty in finding someone to manage that department. It was also no doubt due to community facilitators having to spend substantially more time on activities relating to the two new components. This component continued its experimentation work with 40 farmers from 7 wards. There was also enthusiastic participation in three seed fairs.

2005 - in the vein of 2004

2005 continued very much in the vein of 2004. EED was now TSURO’s only donor, t a substantial and supportive one. TSURO held its third AGM in April 2005 at which around 150 representatives from member TVGs participated, slightly down from the second AGM where there were around 180 representatives. One setback early in 2005 was the government turning down registration of TSURO under the PVO Act, citing duplication of government efforts – AREX and the Ministry of Health. Given the strong support of all the local agencies, including Government ministries, the District Administrator and the Rural District Council, TSURO still hoped that the appeal process

would see TSURO’ s registration taking place in the near future.

2006 - a new beginning starting from the villages

By mid 2006, TSURO made a breakthrough in improving its funding base. The German Embassy in Harare had revised its previous reservations and recommended TSURO’s contribution to peace and development in Chimanimani. After the green light by the German Government, WFD began to support the component of Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management. EED continued funding the components Community Health and Community Based Marketing and Agro-processing, entering a second phase of cooperation in January 2007. This meant substantial funding for all aspects of sustainable community programmes, secured up to the end of 2009.

The second half of 2006 was marked by a clear boost of confidence within TSURO. An extensive village based planning exercise was undertaken in all the member villages of the District. TSURO was now able to use this comprehensive data to include community needs and aspirations into its annual planning and review exercises. Learning from the observations and recommendations of the 2005 evaluation, TSURO staff and members took several months of reflection on issues like voluntarism, Board capacity building, organisational strengthening and people centred development. The department of Sustainable Agriculture resumed its original role of being TSURO’s core business’, around which other programme components such as health and marketing were defined. TSURO members at grassroots level became more active again and staff motivation improved with talk of ‘a new chapter’ going round. By the end of 2006, an annual plan had been produced that was promising a well integrated and effective programme implementation for the year to come.

2007 – organisational changes and external challenges

The Association’s internal elections to the committees at village and ward level were held between January and March, and elections to the Board at the AGM in April. These elections were exemplary of rural grassroots democracy. Voters and candidates displayed a mature behaviour in terms of transparency and tolerance which gave a boost to community empowerment. TSURO members proved that they are mature enough to deal with changes in the leadership of the organisation based on democratic processes.

Within TSURO staff, 2007 also saw changes in the personnel structure and relations. A new marketing manager and new officers in Health and SA/NRM were employed. This brought about some friction and several team building exercises had to be conducted to create productive staff relations. New facilitation strategies were introduced, moving from ward representation towards cluster facilitation. Community Facilitators would now work as small teams and specialise according to their individual areas of interest and skill. Cluster training events were carried out that combined the three components, working towards a holistic programmatic approach towards community facilitation. The transition to cluster facilitation proved to be a longer process that needed regular communication and staff development exercises. By the end of the year, however, the roles of elected TSURO Representatives and those of employed Facilitators had emerged much clearer than before.

The year 2007 saw an unprecedented melt down of the Zimbabwean economy characterised by hyperinflation, shortage of basic commodities, parallel market activities and unpredictable monetary policies. TSURO management managed to cushion employees’ welfare through flexible personnel policies while maintaining a strictly legal administrative approach. Programmes were implemented against the odds, but spending was well below the budget available. The finance department was under strong pressure from all sides – donors, managers and beneficiaries at community level. Nevertheless, TSURO continued to deliver according to its objectives unlike many other stakeholders both within Government and civil society.

2008 – a most difficult year for Zimbabwe

The political crisis in Zimbabwe provided for extraordinary challenges during this year. In the process before and after the March elections, TSURO programmes could only be implemented on a ‘low profile’ level although project activities within the villages continued. The ministerial suspension of all NGO field operations was only lifted in August. After that, TSURO activities resurged with astonishing vigour. A point in case was the successful implementation of an OPV seed saving and small grain programme that substantially contributed to food security in the District in the face of a critical shortage of seed before the rainy season. In the community health sector, Best Village Health competitions were held very successfully, promoting a wide variety of rural health aspects.

The hyperinflationary situation reached new world records towards the end of the year which posed extraordinary challenges for TSURO’s financial management and reporting. During the course of the year there was a total of 22 school days – a lost year for Zimbabwean students. The general collapse of the public health system also brought about a serious outbreak of cholera which affected TSURO programme activities during the last month of the year.

2009 – a new operational environment

At the beginning of the year, the Zimbabwean situation was characterised by wide spread hopelessness, acute food shortages, an escalating cholera epidemic and a general collapse of public services. TSURO took the challenges head-on, contributing substantially to the joint effort of District stakeholders to combat the cholera outbreak. With the introduction of the American Dollar as national legal tender and the formation of a Government of National Unity in March, the operational environment began to improve. In June, TSURO recruited a new Finance Manager, whose main task was to consolidate financial administration and reporting towards the end of the three years EED/WFD project phase. A planned extension of the WFD project phase to the end of 2010 was rejected by the new German

Government, testing TSURO’ s flexibility once again.

In September, The TSURO Trust was finally registered, ending several years of legal uncertainty. The first district wide Permaculture design competition was held and a delegation of the International Permaculture Conference in Malawi visited the District. In December the new Marketing & Information Centre in Nyanyadzi was officially opened by a member of the EED Board.

2010 – Focus on village based project planning & implementation

With the support of the Japanese Embassy, TSURO made an effort to focus on one specific ward, Chakohwa. The process was planned and implemented in a very participatory manner, with maximum involvement of the rural community in resource planning and project implementation. The outcome has been a closely knit web of Permaculture projects that has visibly changed the livelihoods in Chakohwa.

In June 2010, first steps were taken to design a Farmer Innovation & Learning Programme in cooperation of ZOPPA, AfFOResT, CELUCT, Find Your Feet and TSURO. Through this programme, the issue of organic production and marketing as well as farmer led research came strongly back to the forefront of sustainable agriculture approaches in TSURO.

Delays in TSURO-EED accounting led to a 5-months gap in salary payments for all TSURO employees. This was a scenario for potential conflict which was overcome by the understanding of staff and skilful management by TSURO Management & Board.

2011 – solid programme implementation in all departments

After a new project phase had been approved by EED, TSURO was in a position to carry out training and project development in community health, agro-processing & marketing as well as organisational development. A new 7-ton truck was purchased and the MOVit Community Transport Revolving Fund was designed so that

Chimanimani farmers began to have access to reasonably priced and reliable transport to market their produce.

The Marketing Department facilitated a sales agreement with TM Supermarkets that resulted in the supply of Natures Gift honey to 33 branches nationwide. This generated an income of about US$ 18.000 for Chimanimani honey farmers. A new village based planning exercise was conducted in 150 villages and the concept of ward resource management was introduced. TSURO planning & monitoring systems were refined and assisted by a baseline study of Chimanimani livelihoods, which was shared with district stakeholders.

There was extensive stakeholder collaboration of the community health department with stakeholders, which consolidated TSURO’s role as an important contributor to a wide variety of public health solutions in the district. TSURO facilitated a ‘Leaders against Vulnerability’ workshop, which led to increased awareness amongst churches, traditional leaders, government departments and other stakeholders.

2012 – new approaches & new partners

Cooperation with TSURO’s mother organisation CELUCT increased in the areas of child rights and youth empowerment. The two organisations also began to work together on issues of Holistic Land and Livestock Development. This programme was initiated in collaboration with the Africa Centre for Holistic Management. A new funding phase with

WFD allowed TSURO to support two pilot grazing schemes in Gudyanga and Jantia. The community based approach was planned in collaboration of a

variety of stakeholders such as Agritex, the Livestock Development Department, the Department of Veterinary Services, ZRP and others.The TSIME programme in collaboration with ZOPPA, AfForest, CELUCT and FYF went into its first implementation phase. It successfully involved 10 Farmer Action Learning Groups associated to 10 Source Farmers, who implemented farmer

research and experimentation around a variety of sustainable agriculture issues.

Cooperation with KAITE had started in 2011 and began to take more shape in 2012, as some farmers supplied the company with organic birds eye chillies and dried flowers and spices. Progress was slow however and rural income generation did not match expectations. A further cooperation in baobab fruit production has been put on halt, awaiting further clarification regarding KAITE operations in the district.

The Nyanyadzi Marketing and Information Centre finally became completed and electrified, ready to serve as a source of information for the community. In Cooperation with CELUCT and PORET, TSURO started to design a farmer-led permaculture training programme for local and international trainees. Cooperation with the Chinhoyi University of Technology focussed on juice making and other fruit processing options for smallholders in Rusitu and other parts of the district.

2013 - innovative programmes – large scale impact

TSURO programme impact for 2013 was evaluated in all departments and baseline data for a wide range of livelihood indicators became available for all wards of the District. 11370 farming households on a total area of 14852 ha were involved in a variety of interventions to boost crop production under improved cultivation. There was evidence of improvement in food security and increasing investment by small farmers into seed, fertility and pest management. There were positive trends towards seed saving, sustainable farming practices and organic production initiatives.

More and more, TSURO’s role of tackling innovative solutions to rural development emerged as a key identity of the organisation. Its contribution to innovative concepts in Holistic Land & Livestock Management (HLLM) was acknowledged, with a potential for district wide adoption and learning effects at national level. The innovative TSIME programme on farmer led research and learning was to expand towards a hundred learning groups all over the district.

Cooperation with Find Your Feet, CELUCT, AfFOResT and ZOPPA in this programme entered a new dynamic phase.

The Chimani Delights company began to stabilize and a variety of new products under the Natures Gift brand were developed. TSURO’s role in promoting inclusive development concerning people living with disability stood out in terms of practice such as disability friendly open ventilated toilets and specific empowerment programmes. TSURO marketing and health programmes entered a new cooperation phase with Bread-for-the-World running up to September 2016.

2014 - Strategic Planning – consolidated the tested, exploring the new

After two years, the steady facilitation of HLLM pilot projects in Gudyanga and Chisuko showed signs of a breakthrough. Two solar powered pumping stations were installed in Gudyanga and provided for much needed water sources for hundreds of animals. The SA/NRM Manager, Alias Mulambo, one of the 2000 pioneer facilitation team, passed on in March and left a big gap. TSURO also lost its secretary, Sibongile Manase in the same year.

An extensive reflection exercise under the Bread for the World Learning project helped to clarify TSURO principles. In August 2014, TSURO held a strategic planning w/s which resulted in its second strategic plan (2015-2025). This resulted in a phase of organisational development around issues of member benefits, rights and obligations, inclusivity and empowerment. New policy documents on Community Material Grant Making and PM&E were developed. Building on a comprehensive evaluation of the SA/NRM programmes, a new

phase of WFD cooperation 2015-2018 was designed and approved in early 2015. A 3-year TSIME phase funded by DFID (UK) began in April 2014, including farmer led research projects.

Food Fairs gained increasing importance and popularity as farmers, including men, began to realise increasing income from sales of processed food products. Some Rusitu farmers regularly hired the TSURO MOVit truck and earned good money from banana sales (about US$ 100-150 per month), which they reinvested in a new peanut butter making project. The TSURO owned company Chimani Delights developed new products like cold pressed sunflower oil and improved the product design of others. The Nature’s Gift product range was also displayed at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo, which put Chimani Delights on the map of the Small & Medium Enterprise market.

TSURO community health programmes managed to spearhead the inclusion of vulnerable and disabled people: in the Best Health Home Practice Competitions, through examples of disability friendly toilets in all clusters, through training of builders in the construction of such toilets, through training of inclusivity peer educators.

2015 - losing the TSURO Director, and working on in his spirit

Ezra Mhlanga passed on in April 2015. As the first chairperson of the TSURO dzeChimanimani Association and later the first Executive Director of the TSURO Trust, he had been one of the pillars of the organisation, embodying TSURO values and principles and the practice of community empowerment. In spite of this blow, TSURO continued to forge ahead, expanding its programmes. A new WFD cooperation phase began in April, which gave the SA/NRM department a boost of a new manager and a new officer. Under this programme, a long-term cooperation with strategic partners Africa Centre for Holistic Management and the Njeremoto Biodiversity Institute could be established. A climate change baseline study will be carried out during the last quarter of the year, paving the way for a multi-stakeholder initiative towards a district climate change response strategy. A 3-year

partnership with Bio-Watch (South Africa) came into effect in July. This Seed & Knowledge Initiative (SKI) enabled TSURO to carry out improved seed fairs, seed banking and seed inventories in the whole district. A seed baseline study paved the way towards greater engagement in the field of community based seed systems envisaged under a multi-stakeholder Zimbabwe Seed Sovereignty Programme in cooperation with PELUM, ZIMSOFF and Practical Action among others.

A new manager and a new officer were recruited in the Community Health department and began to consolidate operations towards community grant making and training of palliative care givers among other activities.

Community participation in food fairs and household agro-processing activities steadily gained in numbers and popularity. A community centre in Nyambeya (Cashel), for instance, was built by its members from income generated through their oil pressing and poultry projects. The centre is to boost sales and serves to display products and information. Consistent cooperation with the Chimanimani SME Office (Small & Medium Enterprise Development) resulted in Chimani Delights being selected for participation in the March 2016 Food Expo in Japan. The processing centre in Nyanyadzi was refurbished in a number of ways, so that tests under the Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) could be passed and SAZ registration could be achieved.

Since September 2015, a new Executive Director, Mr. Backson Muchini has been heading the institution. The TSURO Association displayed a stronger capacity and a more significant level of participation during its AGM in August, where preparations were also made for the upcoming elections of the Association in 2016.The AGM was held at CELUCT from 17th-19th of August 2015. The AGM provided a platform for a reflection of the Associations’ past challenges and opportunities and hence providing an opportunity for looking ahead knowing where we are coming from and knowing where we are heading towards. The recent AGM also adopted the TSURO Strategic Planning document which was a deliverable from the 2014 Strategic Planning workshop that was held at Biriiri High School.

Like many hares, TSURO has had an eventful and at times difficult existence as it strives to stay on its toes. There are always chances for TSURO to use its long ears to listen carefully to what its members are saying and to use its wisdom for survival to chart the way ahead. Where is the wise hare going to go next?

Introducing our new Executive Director

Please join us in welcoming Mr Backson Muchini to TSURO Trust as the new Executive Director with effective from 01 September 2015. Backson Muchini is a Psychologist, Social Protection Consultant who holds a Master of Philosophy in Social Sciences , and a Bachelor of Science ( Hons) in Psychology. Backson brings to TSURO a rich vein of stewardship and valuable leadership harnessed over 30 years of development work since 1985 and has acquired vast skills and vital multi-faceted experience over the years since he has worked as a teacher, university lecturer, psychologist, field worker, manager, director, programmer, researcher and consultant in social protection issues.He has also been exposed to the international environment through works in Lesotho, South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Malawi, Angola, Kenya, Benin, Zambia and Zimbabwe. To date Backson Muchini has published over ten articles in journals and also has over fifty unpublished manuscripts. As a leader, Backson Muchini has initiated the formation of over twenty civil society organisations throughout Zimbabwe – including Streets Ahead in 1985, … Rujeko Trust in Birchenough Bridge in 1995, … Youth Alive Zimbabwe in 2003, … Has worked in programmes for individuals with psychological trauma (anxiety, stress, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal cases), children with disabilities; children with learning challenges; children in conflict with the law; street children; refugee children; people affected by emergencies - floods, droughts, wars; poor people; PLWA, OVC; worked in Debt for Development programmes, and multilateral Development Assistance Programmes.Has worked in the sectors of Psychosocial Well-Being, Emergency, Food Relief, Agriculture,

Education, Skills Training, Health Care, Economic Strengthening, Micro-Finance (ISL), Social Cash-Transfers, Human Rights, Civic Education, & Capacity Development.By the time of his engagement, Backson was the serving chairperson of the TSURO Board of Trustees. May your spirited dedication continue to bear the torch for the clever hare as the TSURO journey continues.

Sustainable Agriculture & Natural Resource Management

Holistic Land And Livestock Management Project

In response to the decline in natural resources due to a combination of climate change and poor agriculture practices, communities in ward 20, 10, and 11 in Chimanimani District are implementing a holistic land and livestock project in which livestock is used to restore degraded land. A total of 185 stockowners (Gudyanga ward 20 = 58, Chisuko ward 10 & 11= 27, and a total of 578 livestock (Gudyanga 427 cattle, Chisuko 151 cattle) are participating in the programme.

For the success of this project, there is very closer collaboration with traditional stakeholders, the Livestock Production and Development department (LPD), Veterinary services, Agritex, Africa Center for Holistic Management (ACHM) and Njeremoto Biodiversity Institute. As a result of the programme the following spring Murare and Mukwenga in Changazi ward 20 and Nyarusikana in Chisuko had been dry for years before the HLLM project, but has since resumed their normal water flows due to the practicing of planned grazing. To foster cooperation and effective collaboration in the programme a total of 1325 community members of Gudyanga and Chisuko recently held their Planning and Review workshop. This has seen strengthening of community structures, which will foster effective project implementation.

TSIME Project

TSIME means SOURCE. The TSIME in the sustainable agriculture department is working with 107 innovation farmers who are working with an average of 20 farmer action learning group members. Out of all the activities done in the programme, the farmer led research is proving to be a very important tool for empowering small holder farmer to find ways of solving their problems locally. A total of 20 farmers are going to participate in this activity this season. The impact of the TSIME programme has attracted visitors doing a similar programme in Malawi to visit 7 farmers in ward 23, 13, 16B, 7, 18, and 19. The visitors appreciated what is happening and took some lessons to many.

Sunrise FALG, Pfumo Village, Ward 13

Mr Sibonile Mwarirano of Pfumo Village in Ward 13, Chimanimani District is a dedicated source farmer with the TSIME project. He was identified by TSURO officers

through his innovativeness in permaculture and water conservation practices.

Mr Mwarirano practices a lot of soil and water conservation farming methodologies on his plot which include bag gardening, the fertility trench, the key-hole and the soil and water conservation bed. He also has a demonstration plot on site and a nursery for fruit tree species and herbs like rosemary for stresst ailment treatment.

Chisuko HLLM grazing

Mr Mwarirano leads the Sunrise FALG which has so far managed to initiate several projects to manage the watershed management site in

Pfumo Village. Sunrise FALG is practicing stream bank reclamation, agro-forestry, apiculture (beekeeping), permaculture designs in key and keyhole form, water harvesting pits as well as cohabiting with nature through building a rockery at the watershed management site. Sunrise FALG also incorporates youths in their activities and they have a vision of ensuring that the youth will carry on with the watershed management programme within their village.

Mr Mwarirano and his FALG face challenges from other villagers who at times vandalise the water management site with some stealing beehives, and some cutting down trees and some even going to the extent of defecating in the water sources. The community is hereby advised to desist from negative tendencies and work alike the Sunrise FALG to ensure continued learning and help preserve the watershed.

Seed Sovereignty project

The seed sovereignty project is sponsored by

Seed Knowledge initiative (SKI) through Bio-

watch South Africa. Seed sovereignty includes

the farmer's rights to save, breed and

exchange seeds, to have access to diverse

open source seeds which can be saved and

which are not patented, genetically modified,

owned or controlled by emerging seed giants.

It is based on reclaiming seeds and

biodiversity as commons and public good.

Seed is the first link in the food production

and seed sovereignty is the foundation of

food sovereignty. If farmers do not have their

own seeds or access to open pollinated

varieties that they can save, improve and

exchange, they have no seed sovereignty and

consequently no food sovereignty. The

deepening food crisis in the world has its

roots in changes in the seed supply system,

and the erosion of seed diversity and seed

sovereignty.

The project seeks to strengthen seed

producers, stimulate greater trade ,sharing

and exchange of a variety of seed amongst

farmers, increase knowledge and skills in

relation to diverse community based systems

within the district and strengthen links

between farmer led research and national

institutions. The project will go a long way in

improving seed availability, accessibility,

diversity and quality thus strengthening the

Chakalipa Kanyenda, FYF Malawi Country Director plants a tree at the water shed management site in Pfumo Village

informal seed system which addresses timely

availability of seeds which is a pre requisite in

responding to climate change. Main

components of this programme include

training of farmers in Open Pollinated seed

production, conducting 4 improved cluster

seed fairs, creating awareness of community

based systems and seed production by trained

seed producers.

So far this year in 2015, awareness meetings

were conducted in 4 clusters namely Rusitu,

Biriiri, Nhedziwa and Nyanyadzi. 46 potential

seed producers were identified, 20 of these

will receive training in seed production and

monitoring to assure production of quality

seeds. 4 improved cluster seed fairs were

conducted where a total of 302 farmers

attended and 100 households exhibited, 9 of

them being males. These were held under the

theme OPV seed a means to sustainable

household food security, in vernacular, "OPV

chiororo - maringe nekurima kwakatsvinda".

A seed inventory was also conducted during the seed fair so as to come up with a biodiversity register for the district which will enable monitoring for the district. The inventory will determine how many crop species and how many varieties per crop are being grown in the district. Biodiversity wheel tool was also used to further analyse crop diversity in the district and helps to identify varieties that might be at risk of being lost or becoming extinct. This is where 5 categories are drawn up such as, 1. Many farmers Large area 2. Many farmers Small Area, 3. Few Farmers Large areas, 4. Few Farmers Small area and lastly Lost diversity. 3 of the 4 clusters had maize and beans being their common crops

SKI has facilitated the training of officer in charge of seed in participatory plant breeding, varietal selection, varietal enhancement and community seed banking at two workshops in Matopos. 3 farmers and two officers had an exchange visit to Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe where they witnessed two seed fairs. Forthcoming activities include the seed producers training in seed production and exhibiting at Food and Seed fairs in Harare.

The Bio-Diversity Wheel

As we struggle to adapt to the impending impacts of climate change, we are all increasingly dependent on agro-biodiversity. This is because there are varieties that have adapted to and thrived in harsh and marginal conditions and these are becoming more and more relevant as conditions become even harsher. For many poor rural communities, the conservation and sustainable use of their local landraces determines whether or not they are food secure: maintaining biodiversity is a way to enhance their resilience.

Globally, an estimated 75% of our plant genetic diversity has been lost since the 1900s and this is a matter of great concern. Moreover, the consequences of biodiversity loss are not being shared equitably across the world. The areas of richest biodiversity are in developing countries where they are relied upon by approximately 2 billion people to meet their basic needs. When farmers abandon their multiple local varieties and landraces for genetically uniform and high-yielding varieties, in the long-term they are jeopardising their resilience to climate change, food security and traditional knowledge associated with their local varieties. After even only a few seasons of neglect or drought, it can become an enormous challenge for smallholder farmers residing in marginalised areas to access good quality seeds, on time.

In the recently concluded community seed fairs, several Chimanimani farmers met to display their seeds, got the opportunity to exchange seeds as well as knowledge and

experiences on the crops they grow.

It was also a valuable tool for the SANRM department to take stock of available biodiversity in the community, and even collect varieties to conserve in the seed banks – thereby ensuring that if the communities lose a variety, it can be recovered. Seed fairs also celebrate, recognise and reward farmers for their valuable contribution as custodians of agro-biodiversity. Prizes, such as agricultural implements, were awarded to farmers who displayed the widest range of varieties, or brought rare varieties. Moreover, community seed fairs are an ideal platform on which to append other activities that can further enhance communities’ ability to improve food security and their adaptation to climate change.

One of these activities is the Bio-Diversity Wheel.

How does this work in practice?

Several proud farmers participate in the seed fairs and they have a strong incentive to bring along their entire portfolio of seeds, in order to win the seed fair competition. The seed varieties are selected from those displayed at the community seed fair. A facilitator then picks up one seed variety and asks the farmers: “How many of you are growing this variety?” and “Is this variety grown in a large area of land?” The community would then decide in which segment of the Diversity Wheel the selected variety should be placed. In this exercise, farmers also discuss why certain varieties are not being grown any longer, or why they value a specific variety. They discuss whether the variety is important to them and, if it is important and at risk, they then reflect on how to proactively ensure its conservation. Very valuable information on how farmers are coping with climate change also emerge from these discussions. In addition to climate change considerations, market demand and resistance to pests and diseases also play an important role in farmers’ decisions on whether to grow a crop or not: farmers grow groundnuts because there is high demand; pearl millet is attacked by birds and they prefer the low yielding but “bearded” variety, which fends birds off by pricking them. A major issue that also emerged during the Diversity Wheel exercise is naming of the varieties: modern varieties are not given local names whereas young people are not aware of certain traditional varieties that are gradually eroding and do not feature in formal taxonomy and characterisation exercises either.

Once the Diversity Wheel is fully populated, farmers can easily visualise how their food security and diet composition is evolving – are they growing only carbohydrates? Do the varieties they are growing have different maturity dates? Are there opportunities to learn agronomic practices from farmers who have been able to grow certain crops that have failed in other farmers’ fields? Of course, the Diversity Wheel is very useful tool for communities to proactively manage their

biodiversity for greater food security, adaptation to climate change and to promote learning – kudos to Bio-watch South Africa that have conceptualised and funded it through the SKI, to Agritex and Chimanimani farmers who have so ably put it into practice.

Sustainable Agriculture through the new TSURO Seedbank

A seed bank stores seeds as a source for planting in case seed reserves elsewhere are destroyed. It is a type of gene bank. The seeds stored may be food crops, or those of rare species to protect biodiversity. The reasons for storing seeds may be varied. In the case of food crops, many useful plants that were developed over centuries are now no longer used for commercial agricultural production and are becoming rare. Storing seeds also guards against catastrophic events like natural disasters and outbreaks of diseases.

Depending on the species, seeds are dried to a suitably low moisture content according to an appropriate protocol. Because seed RNA (like our DNA) degrades with time, the seeds need to be periodically replanted and fresh seeds collected for another round of long-term storage. Stored specimens have to be regularly replanted when they begin to lose

viability. Seed banks carry a cataloguing and data management aspect. The seed banks must document the plant's identity, sampling location, seed quantity, and viability state. Other information, such as farming systems in which the crops were grown, or rotations they formed, should also be available to future farmers.

Community Based Agro Processing and Marketing

The department is facilitating the smallholder farmers to focus on value addition and beneficiation of their raw agricultural products in order to mitigate poverty in Chimanimani communities and reap improved household incomes. Value addition and beneficiation is one of the critical clusters in the country’s economic blue print, the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (ZimAsset). Value addition is answer to jobs creation. By disposing of agricultural products in their initial form devoid from any value addition, communities are giving away jobs to middlemen and wholesalers leaving our young school leavers idle in our communities. Therefore, food fairs were facilitated to promote food security, household nutrition and increased household incomes.

Food Fair Event process

The 2015 food fairs were started at ward level with the primary aim to reach as many participants at village level as possible. There was no restriction at ward level in terms of number of farmers who could exhibit, provided they were subscribed TVGs. There were 22 wards expected to participate in the event and all managed to participate. The department had estimated an average of 15 farmers per ward who could showcase their products. However, there was huge turn out by TVGs in this year’s food fairs (2015). The

Mr Blessing Chamudondo, presenting the seed bank initiative at TSURO Trust offices

highest record per ward was 32 exhibitors, and that was in wards 6 and 11, and the lowest record was 7 exhibitors recorded in wards 9 and 15. The average attendance of the other wards was 18. A total of 402 households participated in this year’s (2015) food fair with 97% being females, a clear sign that it was dominated by women.

A percentage of 6.22% of the 402 participants (best 5 from each ward) competed at cluster level. We had 5 clusters, meaning to say, 25 TVGs battled it out at cluster competitions. These cluster competitions were held at central and convenient centres in the clusters. After cluster competitions, we had the district food fair held at Nyanyadzi Information and Marketing Centre. Again, 6.22% of the 402 exhibitors (25) competed at District level.

However, some clusters failed to have all the expected 25 exhibitors, Central and Nhedziwa . Nhedziwa registered 23 exhibitors out of 25 participants expected, and Central cluster had 22 participants. There was a communication problem with the failed three farmers in the Central cluster. One of the Community facilitator in the cluster communicated that the cluster food fair would take 4 days instead of 3. This seemed too long to the farmers hence decided not to come.

Results for cluster food fairs, first positions only were as follows

Lowveld cluster, number one went to Sithembile Sithole of ward 8

Rusitu cluster, number one went to Mrs Mugano of ward 22

Central cluster, number one went to Mrs Chikavhanga ward 9

Eastern cluster, number one went to Mrs Masheza ward 10

Nhedziwa cluster, number one went to Lizzy Muchuro ward 7

Results for the district food fair were as follows;

Position 1: Sithembile Sithole Ward 8 Position 2: Kumbirai Dube Ward 3 Position3:Tendai Chikavhanga Ward 9 Position4: Mrs Man’a Ward 22 Position5:Mugano of ward 22.

There were also category winners at district level.

Winner for the best quality products was again, Sithembile Sithole of ward 8

Winner on creativity was Kumbirai Dube of ward 3

Winner on label design and packaging was Tendai Chikavhanga of ward 9

Winner on best food corner was Man’a of ward 22

Displayed products

Most displayed products both at ward, cluster and district were field crops ranging from cereals/grains, processed fruits (jam, and juices), confectionaries, dried vegetables (traditional and hybrid green vegetables), roasted meat, herbs, peanut, cold pressed sunflower and groundnuts cooking oil, and many others.

Generally there was great improvement on value addition, labelling and packaging as well as quantities of products displayed mainly from Rusitu and Lowveld clusters. More than

40% of the farmers managed to machine print their labels, a significant improvement as compared with previous years. However, it was a bit low in Nhedziwa and Central clusters in terms of quantities and diversity of products displayed and this was attributed to poor rainfall received this year. Most of the juices displayed seemed to be of short shelve life span due to lack of preservatives.

Best Apiculture Literature Award 2015

TSURO Trust participated at the 2015 Manicaland Agricultural Show and it was awarded for being the best apiculture literature exhibitionist. The CBAP& Marketing department staff represented the organisation and they did very well. May they continue with the hard work.

Below is a gallery of the Agric Show;

CHIMANI DELIGHTS

In this Issue we are going to look at one of the products from the Natures Gift brand by Chimani Delights and find out why one should buy cold pressed sunflower oil from the company as well as outline some of the nutritional benefits which one stands to get upon consumption.

Why Cold Pressed Sunflower oil?

Diet and cardiovascular benefits: Sunflower oil is high in Vitamin E and low in saturated fat. Sunflower oil of any kind has been shown to have cardiovascular benefits as

well. Diets combined with a low fat content and high levels of oleic acid have been suggested to lower cholesterol which, in turn, results in a smaller risk of heart disease. Sunflower oils fit these criteria. Studies of adults suggested that a balanced diet in which small quantities of saturated fats are replaced with sunflower oil has detectable cholesterol-reducing benefits. Research suggests that lower cholesterol levels can be caused by balances of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Sunflower oil may help with this balance.

Sunflower oil as skin protection: Sunflower oil, like other oils, can retain moisture in the skin. It may also provide a protective barrier that resists infection in pre-term infants.

All plant oils are cholesterol free, but commercial oils go through several processing stages to prevent rancidity. Refined oils are de-gummed, de-pigmented through charcoal or clay, clarified by deodorizing under high heat and chemically preserved. Unfortunately, processing also destroys healthy antioxidants and forms hazardous free radicals. Refined

oils are clear, odourless, and almost totally devoid of nutrients.

Unrefined vegetable oils are the least processed and most natural. They are mechanically pressed and filtered (cold pressing). They have small amounts of sediment, and taste and smell like the nut, seed, or fruit they came from.

Solvent extracted oil is the second pressing from the first pressing residue. The petroleum chemical hexane is generally used to get the most efficient extraction; even though minute amounts of hexane remain, it is still considered an unrefined oil.

Vegetable oils are traditionally seen as top dietary sources of essential fatty acids.

" Live healthy, buy Chimani Delights"

Community Health

Our Story of Change - 'A day with Lawrence '

It's a scotching sunny day in Mukangara Village, Ward 7, Chimanimani and one cannot wait to get under a cool veranda shade at Mr Mashingaidzes homestead after going up the hill from the meandering Munyanyazi river. The welcoming smiles from Lawrence and his siblings is comfort enough for every visitor at the homestead.

Lawrence is a boy aged .... who was born with disability. The family had challenges in securing finances for sending Lawrence to school and also Lawrence's mother had carry him on her back for over 10kms to get to the nearest Biriiri clinic. Another challenge was that there are no disability friendly structures at the homestead.

Through TSUROs intervention and input from other stakeholders like the Department of Social services, Min of Education he has managed to get access to a boarding facility at Tose Respite school in Harare where he is being monitored and taught basic skills like communication, eating and walking using

guides. From the assessment of his mother , Lawrence has vastly improved and he can now seat steadily, eat well using a spoon and he can also communicate and comprehend a conversation. TSURO is also in the process of assisting the family to build a disability friendly toilet for the homestead.

Mr and Mrs Mashingaidze are thankful for TSUROs intervention and unwavering support throughout the years. TSURO pledged to source funds for assisting the family in

starting up a poultry income generating project in the hope that by the time the family is weaned they will be able to sustain themselves and also able to continue paying school fees for Lawrence till he can take care of himself. Mr Mashingaidze is a competent builder and the community is encouraged to seek him whenever you need a builder at your homestead.

Together we can make a difference!!!

World Breastfeeding Week 2015 : “Breastfeeding and Work: Let’s make it work.”

World Breastfeeding Week commemoration for Manicaland was held at Nyanyadzi Primary School grounds in Chimanimani District after the national commemoration had been launched on August 7, at Lafarge Cement Stadium in Harare under the theme “Breastfeeding and Work: Let’s make it work.” The national launch was officially opened by the Minister of Health and Child Care, Honourable Dr. David Parirenyatwa.

Globally there are approximately 830 million female workers with an increased number are in developed countries such as Zimbabwe. Many of them return to work soon after delivering babies, hence they need supportive national polices and legislation — paid maternity leave and breastfeeding breaks — to enable them to continue breastfeeding. In Zimbabwe, there are a significant number of women working in the informal, seasonal or part-time economy who face even greater barriers to breastfeeding. They need strong family and community support to manage the demands of work and breastfeeding their babies.

According to a World Health Organisation report “many mothers who return to work abandon breastfeeding partially or completely because they do not have sufficient time, or a place to breastfeed, express and store their

milk”. It adds that mothers “need a safe, clean and private place in or near their workplace to continue breastfeeding.”

During the launch, Provincial Medical Directorate, Dr Mafaune read the speech on behalf of Dr. Parirenyatwa which said with the high levels of literacy, it is very easy to disseminate the benefits of breastfeeding in Zimbabwe adding that the Government of Zimbabwe supports women in the national economy. “With the high levels of literacy in Zimbabwe at 97 per cent it is easy to encourage mothers to breastfeed their children. “We need to galvanize the multi-dimensional support to improve the balance between breastfeeding and work. Everyone including employers of big companies, farmworkers, and labourers should be made aware of the importance of breastfeeding and child survival,” said Dr. Parirenyatwa.

The speech also noted the need to relook at labour laws in-order to ensure that it allows mothers the role to breastfeed their children while keeping their jobs. “We need to look at our legislation. The International Labour Organization regulations should be ratified and implemented into our legislation properly so that it captures the roles that women play in taking care of children.” Women working in informal, seasonal and part-time economy are often vulnerable and face greater barriers to breastfeeding and are usually excluded from protection. We need not forget women in agriculture whose children also need optimum milk from their mother.

Breastfeeding is the most cost-effective intervention to provide nutrients to a child. If breastfeeding does not become exclusive for babies from 0 to 6 months, then it just becomes “tokenism” for children’s growth. Communities are urged to address the bottlenecks at household level that hinder the uptake of breastfeeding especially among rural women in Zimbabwe. The Ministry of Health is working on modalities to capacitate men and women to support breastfeeding and do away with the misconceptions associated with it.

Entertainment was galore with Masvingo based TV drama group Sabhuku Vharazipi mesmerising the gathering and keeping everyone attentive with his informative and educative act that dovetailed well with the breastfeeding theme “Breastfeeding and Work: Let’s make it work.”

Another Story of Change - Nutrition Gardening

My name is Mrs Chinyama of Taakanyi VIllage in Ward 21 and am a proud member of Simukai peanut butter project and i also practice nutrition gardening.

I was privileged to get training on nutrition gardening by TSURO through their community facilitators ; Mr Farai Gumisai and Mr Solomon Mukoya in early 2014. One of the major points from the teachings was the awareness that "you are what you eat?" I had to stop and think about the importance of that statement. What we eat plays a large role in how we develop and grow. It also influences our health, energy levels and attitudes. Learning about good nutrition should be a part of every person's life especially during habit-forming childhood years.

From that training i have realised a marked improvement in my health and welfare since i sell some of the garden produce and our groups' peanut butter to my neighbours and colleagues. I am now able to get some money to pay school fees for my children. I also learnt that one of the easiest ways of ensuring access to a healthy diet that contains adequate macro- and micronutrients is to produce many different kinds of foods in the nutrition garden. This is especially important

in our communal areas where people have limited income-earning opportunities and poor access to markets. Nutrition gardens are also becoming an increasingly important source of food and income for poor households.

In my garden i planted green beans, cucumbers, onions, vegetables, strawberries, tomatoes, herbs for hypertension, carrots and beetroot. My nutrition garden gets organic fertiliser from the rubbish pit which is just in between the nutrition garden and the fowl run. We get manure from the fowl run and put it into the rubbish pit and when they have decomposed we then take it out and spread into the garden.

I hereby encourage smallholder farmers to practice organic farming and nutrition gardening since nutrition gardening can enhance food security in several ways, most importantly through: direct access to a diversity of nutritionally-rich foods, increased purchasing power from savings on food bills and income from sales of garden products, and fall-back food provision during seasonal lean periods.