The SRWA members wasted no time in embracing the principles of RWA and the longstanding policy stance on agroecology promoted by RWA Southern Africa. The workshop held in Zimbabwe on agroecology made a significant impact on certain members, motivating them to seek direct knowledge and understanding of the teachings presented.
Make Lonhlahla Mthethwa could not contain her joy after her first harvest recently where she piloted half a hectare of maize that is organically produced. In her own words, she says, ‘if we started ploughing like this some time back, we could have ended poverty in my community and now we could be food secured’. This is after Mrs Mthethwa experimented at large scale planting organically where she used both methods. Surprisingly the organically planted plot came up to be the best and yielded a higher harvest than imagined. Just like most rural homes Make Mthethwa did this on her fields as she practises subsistence farming.
Lonhlanhla also sounded very happy when she added that her fruit trees are now looking good after being watered using a combination of molasses and water. “It is these baby steps that have inspired confidence and shown how correct and impactful the workshops on agro ecology were.” Lonhlanhla explained. This has seen community members flooding her home just to ask what seeds and fertilisers she was using only to find a complete opposite of what they expected. SRWA’s consistency on this topic has a chance of not just influencing a new culture of planting but turn the climate justice issue to a family responsibility with each defining how to mitigate it through farming among other means.
Another member who participated in the workshop Make Zanele Dlamin who during the article said she has a garden of vegetables which she farmed using compost which she made from leaves as she learnt in Zimbabwe. She could not stop her excitement as she narrates “I didn’t think my vegetables can be this good they are so happy and looking good.”
It has been harvest season in Eswatini and most rural women were busy in fields, and SRWA has taken the time to interact with its members on their yearly harvest and how seeds that were shared performed. SRWA needs to strengthen her education on agro ecology and farmer managed seed systems and have a constant program that will yield the required results. We applaud the continued capacitation from the RWA region and shared experiences of our sisters.
