Mthabisi Tshuma, Chronicle Correspondent

A HARARE-based organisation 4-H Zimbabwe Foundation has partnered a German-based organisation Deutsch Connect in funding the national schools’ gardens programme.

The schools’ gardens programme was extended to primary and secondary schools from the initial three provinces covered last year to all provinces in the country last month.

Introduced in November last year, the programme is meant to inspire young people to explore agriculture and view it as a profession and business.

It is also aimed at assisting schools to produce food and also raise money from sale of produce.

Schools that have benefited from the initiative are Oldbury Primary in Mazowe District, Rising Star Primary in Harare South, Holy Cross Primary in Chirumanzu and Jairos Jiri Bulawayo chapter.

In a telephone interview yesterday, 4-H Zimbabwe Foundation chairperson Mrs Wendy Madzura, who is also the Seed Co Zimbabwe Division head of agronomy, said the funding will help revive the agriculture sector.

“Zimbabwe is an agro-based economy hence nurturing young people on farming issues from an early age can contribute to increased productivity in future. We are creating a future generation of productive farmers.

“We need to instil the importance and value of agriculture to schoolchildren at a very tender age thus preparing them for the future. 

“As an organisation, we believe that learning is best achieved through practice, hence we need to create competent future champion farmers who are going to feed the nation,” said Mrs Madzura.

“We aim to equip youths with modern innovations and technologies that enable them to become productive farming entrepreneurs and agro-professionals who can sustainably contribute to the economy.”

Mrs Madzura said the availing of agriculture as a subject at both primary and secondary schools will complement efforts of increasing food security at schools through their feeding schemes.

“The Government has already availed the new curriculum which has agriculture as a subject from primary school.

“As 4-H Zimbabwe Foundation we want to complement efforts of the Government working with schoolchildren on intensifying agriculture in schools,” she said.

Deutsch Connect founder Mr Kumbirai Chipadza said they saw it fit to partner with 4-H Zimbabwe Foundation through donating starter agriculture kits for gardens.

“The partnership has come at a time when the concept spreads to all provinces in Zimbabwe thus seeing how big the initiative has grown, we decided to join the programme.

“We are coming on board to support through providing starter kits for the school gardens project. The partnership is with immediate effect,” he said.

Mr Chipadza said they want the partnership to motivate schoolchildren to be passionate about agriculture.

“Deutsch Connect is a German-based initiative that links Southern African startups and entrepreneurs to the German business ecosystem through mentorship, matchmaking and access to market and partnerships. We will be partnering with 4-H Zimbabwe Foundation in their school gardens programme.

“We will be funding the school gardens programme as a way to ensure young scholars appreciate agriculture at an early age as well as mentoring them in making agriculture a viable business. 

“In future we hope to be able to export the produce into the German market through working with both the government and private sector,” he  said.

Mr Chipadza said Zimbabwe and Africa as a whole have so much potential for farming given the vast arable land.

He added that schoolchildren will have access to innovative farming methods that increase output and decrease costs as well as making it attractive for young people. — @mthabisi_mthire.