Zimbabwe: Water is life!

Sitting on her doorstep in Chigondo, a small area of Wedza district, about three hours’ drive from the Zimbabwean capital Harare, Mrs Jasmine Chakoma, 64, is surrounded by the bounty of nature. [Photo above is of Rebecca Masimbira, who we meet next.]

In front of her whitewashed house, Mrs Chakoma’s yard is ringed by fruit trees: mangos, oranges, apples, nectarines, plums and peaches all grow well, helping to feed her family, including Lynn (8) and Rowin (18 months) who look on, bemused.

It’s an unusual scene for them - my colleague Pamela and I, accompanied by Ronnie and Edwin, our Progressio Zimbabwe colleagues, and Gwande and Paradzai from our partner organisation, Environment Africa, all asking a series of questions and sitting around an open fire where giant maize cobs cook slowly.

We’re here to find out what life is like for the people of Wedza, how water makes life possible as well as making life difficult, and to find out ways in which Progressio and its partners are changing the lives of people like Mrs Chakoma.

What water means

We’ve been asking everyone what water means to them, and we’ve been amazed that people keep saying the same thing, “Mvuriu upenyu!”, “Water is life!” in Shona, one of the three main languages spoken in Zimbabwe.

And you can see why – people are very aware of it because water is central to life here. “We use water for agriculture, for fruit trees and gardens, for drinking,” Mrs Chakoma says.

“We get water from a weir at the top of the garden, and water for drinking comes from a deep well. The water here is good. The well has made a big difference; the water is safe unlike the river which is prone to diseases.”

Water security

Mrs Chakoma and her family are unusual because they have access to two water sources close to their homestead, one a dammed stream with two wide, sturdy metal pipes running out and down in opposite directions to her house and the neighbours’ house, and a cement-lined well, dug in the 1980s. Mrs Chakoma is water secure and life is good.

“I enjoy farming and soccer and support the Dynamos, I enjoy traditional dance and being in the company of my grandchildren. I enjoy going to the Anglican church. I enjoy the energy and zeal the community has for farming. Only those who are lazy go hungry.”

But that’s not entirely true for everyone in Wedza.

Fear of famine

At the top of the hill, we’re greeted by Rebecca Masimbira (57, pictured), her husband Maraini (72) and his brother (and the Head of the Village) Isaac (79). We sit under a tree in the baking heat, the distant rumble of thunder reminding us that this is the rainy season.

Famine is a problem here, and Rebecca says, “I am happy when there has been a good harvest and we have enough feed the family.” But while the harvests used to fail every 10 years, that regularity has broken down and harvests can be bad two years running.

Fetching water

But that’s not the biggest problem here. “The biggest problem is that of water,” Rebecca says. “We live on a plateau which means water is at the bottom of the hill and far away. We carry the water on our heads. Carrying water for gardening doesn’t make sense because we cannot ever get enough of it. The water down the hill is 2.5km away and it takes an hour to fetch because we have to carry it up the hill.”

"Gardening" isn’t what you might think – manicured lawns and topiary are a world away from here. Instead, gardening describes micro-scale fruit and vegetable production that people rely on to ensure good nutrition for their families. The kind of growing that Mrs Chakoma doesn’t think twice about is a luxury unavailable up here.

It makes feeding her family tough. Rebecca’s in no doubt of its importance:  “Water is very important; it is the paramount thing in life. Everything I do needs water – cooking, washing, for domestic animals, even the flowers in my hair need water!”

Maraini agrees, “Water is life, without water you are not human.”

Making things better

The work of Environment Africa here is well known to the local people, and the impact has been transformative. As Rebecca says, “We have learnt a lot of things from the work, it is very important. We have learnt about conservation farming techniques, like using planting holes, how to plant maize properly, the use of organic matter from leaf mould in the surrounding forest, and the importance of keeping bees.”

These farming practices are really helping people to make the most of the little water they have, and to help live a life where food is more readily available.

The future we want

We asked what future Rebecca and Maraini want for their grandchildren. Maraini says, “I want to leave a heritage from my grandchildren and I am teaching my grandsons to work in the field. At 4am one says to me 'Grandpa, can we go to the field?' He sees that what is being done is bearing fruit in our lives.”

And for Rebecca, “We are in love with the programme and hope to continue the work. You should continue to support the conservation farming. People ask: 'How did you do it?' More people are getting to know it. If the work continues they can adopt it too. Their lives will also be uplifted.”

Help make sure more people like Rebecca and Maraini get the water they need for their livelihoods by supporting Progressio’s Waterproof campaign

Daniel Hale is Progressio's Campaigns Officer. Photos are of Rebecca Masimbira at the waterhole; collecting water; and on the long trek home with the barrels of water balanced on top of her head.