A village farming group in Zimbabwe’s Hurungwe Ward 8 is demonstrating how agroecological farming, market access and community savings can help rural households build stronger and more resilient livelihoods.
The 26-member Mutungambera Village Business Unit (VBU), comprising 19 women and seven men, previously faced major challenges in horticultural production. Limited access to reliable water, secure garden infrastructure, agricultural knowledge and market opportunities made it difficult for farmers to generate consistent income.
Through the USHINGI Project under the Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund II (ZRBF II), members received practical training in agroecological horticulture. The training focused on producing high-value crops including leafy vegetables, tomatoes and onions using more sustainable farming practices.
Market-linkage support also helped the farmers connect their production with local demand. The group began supplying fresh organic produce to Mahwawu Primary School for its school feeding programme, creating an additional market for their crops while supporting local food security.
The income generated through the VBU activities has also helped members develop their own financial mechanisms. Ten female members established the Arise and Shine Queens Internal Savings and Lending (ISAL) group, with each contributing $5 per month from her VBU earnings to a revolving loan fund.
By the end of June 2026, the ten-member savings group had accumulated $1,450, demonstrating increased capacity for collective saving and internal financial management.
The benefits have extended beyond the farmers themselves. The women voluntarily committed 10% of their shared proceeds, equivalent to $145, to support vulnerable children at Mahwawu Primary School.
Their contribution included 11 school uniforms, a pair of school shoes, 55 counter books, 22 exercise books, 10 khaki book covers and 10 plastic covers. The initiative demonstrates how income-generating activities can create wider social benefits when communities establish mechanisms for collective investment.
The Mutungambera experience offers a potential model for strengthening village-level economic resilience. The USHINGI Project, working with Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Women Affairs, Small and Medium Enterprise Development, plans to mentor and revitalise at least 50 village-level savings schemes and prepare them for transition into formal Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOs).
The initiative is supported by funding from the European Union and the Government of Ireland and coordinated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations provides technical support in agriculture and natural resource management, while the Resilience Knowledge Hub supports evidence generation and catalytic activities.
The Mutungambera VBU story shows how combining sustainable agriculture, market linkages and community savings can help rural producers, particularly women, move beyond subsistence farming towards more sustainable incomes, financial independence and community-led development.
