Scaling Up Nutrition Stories of Positive Change: How Kubhudilila Garden is Enhancing Food and Nutrition Security and Livelihoods in Hwange

District Food and Nutrition Security Committees (DFNSCs) form the nucleus for tackling food and nutrition security in a coordinated and holistic manner, with specific core functions. They lead the coordination of food and nutrition security activities at the sub-national level by providing a platform for interaction among relevant Government ministry representatives, development partners, academia and civil society. In this collaborative framework all stakeholders are accountable for ensuring that their sectors meaningfully engage and contribute to improving food and nutrition security at all their levels of operation within the identified national priorities.

Matabeleland North – Nekatambe Ward 13, located in Hwange District is an area characterised by low, erratic and unevenly distributed rainfall, typical of agroecological region 5. For farmers, this translates into poor productivity. However, a remarkable initiative the Kubhudilila Horticultural Garden project is changing this narrative and transforming the landscape and the lives of its community members.

A Multisectoral Approach to Mitigation and Empowerment

The Kubhudilila Garden project spanning 3 hectares was started in 2021 as a measure to mitigate the shock created by hunger. It was implemented under the innovative Food for Asset (FFA) programme a sustainable model of self-reliance, directly linking labour to livelihoods and food security. This success was a result of the Hwange District Food and Nutrition Security Committee  multi-sectoral collaboration where key partners including the World Food Programme, World Vision, AGRITEX, traditional leaders, the Ward Councillor and the Nekatambe Ward 13 community all played crucial roles in spearheading the programme’s success.

The strategy was simple yet profoundly effective: community members facing food insecurity registered to work at the garden, irrespective of gender. They committed four hours a day, fifteen days a month. In return for their labour participants received a monthly food package comprising of 50kg of grain maize, 5 litres of cooking oil and 10kg of legumes (cowpeas, peas or sugar beans). This continued until the programme’s completion, providing immediate relief while simultaneously building long term community assets and skills.

From Dependency to Dignity: Tangible Impact on Livelihoods Nutrition and Food Security

The Kubhudilila Garden project has brought a profound difference to Nekatambe. Before its establishment many participants experienced periods lack of adequate food for their families during droughts. Today they are consistently occupied with productive work at the garden, able to fend for themselves, fostering a sense of dignity and self-sufficiency.

The transformation is evident in numerous testimonials and tangible outcomes:

• Economic Empowerment: The garden has become a direct source of income and financial stability. Many participants have successfully paid school fees and bought uniforms for their children or grandchildren, directly improving access to education. Some have even invested in livestock, purchasing chickens and goats, diversifying their assets and creating additional income streams. This shift from reliance to economic activity has improved their livelihoods.
• Income Generation and Food and Nutrition Security: Participants are now able to sell their horticultural products to generate income for their families. Additionally, they also get fresh, nutritious food directly from the garden for their own households, significantly enhancing their food security and dietary diversity.
• Community Solidarity and Nutrition Support: The project has fostered a strong spirit of unity and collective responsibility. Participants pull together contributions as a social response to members facing hardships like bereavement or illness, demonstrating a robust community safety net. Furthermore, the garden actively supports the local school feeding scheme with fresh vegetables, directly contributing to the nutrition and wellbeing of the children in the community.

This story powerfully demonstrates the positive impact of a programme that successfully shifted the community from a situation of dependency to one of self-sufficiency, resilience and improved quality of life.

Looking Ahead

The Kubhudilila Garden is actively planning to expand its farming activities with the addition of aquaculture and poultry in its pipeline. These ventures are considered highly compatible with horticulture production, promising further diversification of income and food sources and reinforcing the long-term sustainability of the livelihoods created.

The Kubhudilila Garden project stands as a testament to how strategic, community-driven interventions can transform lives, enhance food and nutrition security and build lasting resilience against the challenges of climate change. It is a powerful reminder that with the right support and a strong community spirit, people can move beyond dependency to cultivate a brighter and more secure future for themselves.