Irrigation project spawns garden of hope in a drought-stricken region of Zimbabwe

By Rumbidzai Nenzou, IFRC Communications Officer, Harare

(This story appeared first on the IFRC website last week.)

In the heart of Zimbabwe’s arid Mwenezi district where the land has been scorched by the relentless grip of El Niño, the story of Patience Makuya (photo) stands as a testament to resilience amid despair.

A 37-year-old mother of seven, Patience is one of many women who have borne the brunt of a devastating drought that has turned once-fertile fields into barren expanses.

Triggered by the El Niño weather phenomenon, the drought has ravaged Southern Africa, leaving millions facing food insecurity and water scarcity.

In Masvingo province’s Mwenezi district, renowned for its erratic rainfall and high temperatures, the impact has been particularly severe. Here, at least 80 per cent of the region received below-average rainfall, leading to widespread crop failures and deepening the hunger crisis.

For women like Patience, the daily struggle for survival has become a harsh reality, though a newly created irrigation system and garden is now easing the pressure on many families. 

“Before this piped-water system and garden, we used to walk long journeys to fetch water and leave our children all day with hunger,” Patience recalled.

“We had no vegetables to give our children to eat with sadza [cooked maize-meal], so we would buy sugar for them to eat with it.”

This grim reality is shared by many in Mwenezi, where the drought has pushed food insecurity to alarming levels, with nearly half the population grappling with severe hunger.

Recognizing the dire need in Mwenezi, the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society, with support from the IFRC, has initiated several life-saving projects aimed at mitigating the impact of the drought.

Piped water ‘nothing short of a miracle’

One such project is the Gudomutovhoti piped-water scheme, a 2km pipeline network commissioned in May that has brought much-needed water to the district, transforming lives in the process.

It supports a 1.5-hectare garden where Patience and women from 100 other households diligently tend to their allocated plots.

For Patience and the women of Gudomutovhoti community’s Ward 14 under Chief Neshuro, the piped-water scheme has been nothing short of a miracle. In a region prone to irregular rainfall and water challenges, especially in the face of climate change, the scheme has not only reduced the arduous task of fetching water but has also provided the means to sustain their families.

Through the establishment of a nutrition garden, Patience and other women in the community can now grow vegetables and legumes, offering a vital source of nutrition.

“Our children now have better nutrition thanks to this garden,” Patience says. “We can cook spinach from our garden and feed our families.” 

The nutrition garden has also fostered a sense of self-reliance among the women, who have taken ownership of their plots and are now able to provide for their families, despite the harsh conditions.

“Many in the community were sceptical and laughed at us for being a part of the project, but now they come to ask us for vegetables to eat from our garden plots and we sell to raise money to either pay for school fees for our children or buy grain to ward off hunger in this drought,” Patience said.

While the piped-water scheme and nutrition garden have provided much-needed relief, the challenges facing Mwenezi are far from over. The drought continues to tighten its grip, exacerbating food insecurity and leading to a range of social issues, including gender-based violence, child marriages, and school dropouts.

A heavy toll on livestock herders

“This drought has made these challenges worse,” said Abigail Murwira, an officer of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development.

“Couples argue more when food is lacking, and many girls are leaving school to be married as their families seek ways to make a living.”

The drought has taken a heavy toll on livestock herders, with many animals dying from a lack of water and grazing. The Gudomutovhoti water-station is providing critical relief, supplying much-needed water to both the herders and their livestock, easing the drought’s harsh impact.

The Zimbabwe Red Cross Society’s needs assessment in Mwenezi, supported by the IFRC, underscores the urgent need for a scaled-up response, as called for in the ongoing IFRC emergency appeal for countries impacted by drought and food insecurity in Africa.

Without additional support, millions of people in Zimbabwe and across the region will face worsening levels of acute food insecurity, malnutrition, and water scarcity.

Patience Makuya’s story is a stark reminder of the human cost of climate change and the critical need for sustained humanitarian efforts. While the ZRCS and IFRC have made significant strides in alleviating the immediate suffering in Mwenezi, and the resilience of people like Patience is inspiring, these facts should not be seen as a substitute for the support they so desperately need.

Patience Makuya on her vegetable plot in a nutrition garden made possible by a solar-powered water system supported by the IFRC and implemented by the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society. (Photo: Rumbidzai Nenzou/IFRC)