Members of Bethel garden in ward 18 Boterekwa, Shurugwi district are turning away the wave of poverty through hard work, perseverance and tenacity. The 21 female group started their horticultural garden in 2019. Initially, the garden was secured with shrubs and there were water challenges since their only source of water was a nearby river which often ran dry along the year.

In 2020 the group started working with Hand in Hand Zimbabwe under the Community Upliftment Project (CUP) and was assisted with a solar powered borehole, two 5000 litres water tanks and diamond security fence. The installation of the borehole brought relief to the water challenges as it ensured continuous water supply for horticultural activities.

The group completed their Hand in Hand modular training and started applying what they had learnt into practise. Due to availability of water and commitment by the women, the garden transformed in a short space of time and as they increased production. The group created a group fund to help with maintenance works and other entrepreneurship initiatives.

The group sells various products including leafy vegetables at USD 1 per bundle, onions at USD 1 for 4, green mealies at USD 1 for 3, tomatoes at USD 7 per 20 litre bucket, the list is endless.

The group is also saving USD 5 per member on a monthly basis. Their savings has grown to USD 1238.50. They also have a grocery saving club which they will share in December this year. They managed to build a house for the security guard, and plans are under way to construct a fish pond and also venture into bee production.

In a move to fundraise for the construction of the fish pond, the group recently started another food cooking enterprise. In their own words they said, ‘The trainings from Hand in Hand gave us a better insight of what we could achieve given the availability of water in the garden’.

Bethel garden members appreciate the help and interventions by Hand in Hand Zimbabwe especially with the hardware component. Indeed, this was a dream one would never think of.

The Community Upliftment Project continue to change lives. The community around the garden is also accessing clean water and fresh quality garden produce.