By Martin Karimi

GWERU, ZIMBABWE: An urban farming programme in Zimbabwe is promising to turn former sex workers into farmers in an attempt to meet the need for nutritious and cheap food. It is hoped the project in Gweru, funded by the European Commission, will not only help some of the most vulnerable members of society, but also perhaps even make the city self-sufficient in food.

Regina Gapa is a Programme Officer with the European Commission and has recently visited this programme.

Question: You have been visiting this programme; what have you seen so far?

Regina Gapa: I have seen a very unique food security intervention which is targeting poor neighbourhoods around the city of Gweru. Perhaps the most striking thing about this programme is the enthusiasm that the beneficiaries have displayed. Most members of Gweru Women Aids Prevention Association GWAPA, which is running the project, are former sex workers. They have all shown great willingness to learn farming skills and kick-start their life. It is very encouraging that every time you visit this group, you will find the women working hard, tilling every inch of their individual plots and sometimes working together to tend the group's land. The fact that this farming project is being implemented in an urban setting where farming does not come as the first option of earning a livelihood makes it even more unique.

Q: Why intervene in an urban setting?

RG: The European Commission's department for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO) does not ordinarily fund food security programmes targeting the so called urban poor, because almost always, the vulnerabilities within this group are chronic and therefore are best addressed using development aid rather than humanitarian aid. However, with the economic meltdown that was experienced in Zimbabwe in the recent years, people in urban centres like Gweru have been left extremely vulnerable. The food that is consumed in Gweru is supplied from distances as far away as 200km, making it too expensive for many of the poorest people, especially the sort of people who have enrolled in this project. This project contradicts the thinking that vulnerabilities only exist in rural areas; sometimes, people in the urban areas are more vulnerable and they too deserve help.

The European Commission is funding the establishment of a protective fencing around the farm, the provision of farm inputs, and the rehabilitation of water sources for irrigation. In 2009, the Commission has provided over €9 million towards the improvement of food security in Zimbabwe, and will contribute further in 2010.

Q: This programme sounds ambitious; what are the chances it will succeed?

RG: This programme comprises three important components that form a good food security intervention, that is, food availability, food accessibility, and utilization of food. The main activity in this programme is food production, first for the families of the beneficiaries and then as a surplus to sell. I met Jenneth Mugwagwa, one of the former sex workers participating in this programme, and she told me how excited she was at the prospect of being able to feed, clothe and pay school fees for her 12-year old son, without having to sell her body.

Secondly, the local authority is extremely supportive, having donated that land which the women are cultivating. The City council is very keen on this project succeeding, and believes that Gweru will be a role model for the whole of Zimbabwe by becoming the first city to become self-sufficient in food.

Q: Why are you targeting former sex workers?

RG: This programme is targeting not only former sex workers, but also widows, orphans and vulnerable children, single mothers and women living with HIV and AIDS. The programme is unique in that it has specifically identified former commercial sex workers as a target group. This is probably the first time that this group of people has been targeted to benefit from a food security intervention in Gweru. Former sex workers are especially vulnerable because they may not be able to easily find any other means of income and are widely shunned by society. Among these women, most are living with HIV, and have specific nutrition requirements which they hope to meet through the communal herbal garden and individual vegetable gardens.

Q: This Programme runs till August 2010, what happens next?

RG: The funding provided by the European Commission runs until August 2010, but that is certainly not the end of this programme. Gweru City Council has been extremely supportive of this initiative. They have allocated land to this group on a long-term lease, meaning they can use the land for food production for up to 30 years. Each member has since been allocated a plot and start-up kits comprising basic inputs, and they are extremely eager to grow their own food. This is just one of the proposed 90 gardens around the city, with each garden supporting 30 families. It is true that such initiatives never lack challenges, but the support shown by the local government and the enthusiasm displayed by the beneficiaries is enough to surmount the hiccups and hopefully, put Gweru on its way to food sustainability.