by Zakithi Sibandze
When seeds sprout, bringing new plant life, every farmer is filled with joy, nurturing the promise of a good harvest. This joy mirrors SRWA’s feelings as it embarked on its seed exhibition journey. Our women farmers and members converged with great delight to prepare for the exhibition, following each representative from regional farmers who came with packaged organic seeds in tiny packs for sharing, sampling, and display. At the 2024 Eswatini Trade Fair, held from August 30 to September 8, our SRWA stall was adorned with a diversity of seeds and exhibition pictures, which many admired as sophisticated, well-matched to our identity, and capable of telling our stories even before we spoke.
We aimed to raise awareness about the preservation of traditional seeds, promoted seed sharing, and emphasized the importance of these seeds as climate-resilient. We also used the platform to discuss our SRWA pillars of climate justice and women’s rights, particularly the right to land as a cornerstone of farming, and our efforts to combat gender-based violence and femicide. The display of different seeds was a marvel for many, as some members of the public were amazed to see some maize seeds that were no longer known in the country.
Our advocacy and lobbying were primarily focused on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants (UNDROP) and the land policy that the country still lacks, which could be a tool that enhances rural women’s work. We emphasized the struggle of women to acquire land as we conducted a desktop analysis of the land laws in Swaziland and how they affect women. Among those who were lobbied were the Finance Minister, the Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Members of Parliament, royal wives, and many other important state figures who showed great interest in the issues raised.
This was our first time at this platform, and we were amazed at the extent of the publicity we gained. More than 4,000 people visited the stall, and about 3,500 engaged with us, registering their interest. We also had a podium with national television and a national newspaper where we explained the aim of the seed exhibition and our work as SRWA. The impact of the seed exhibition has demonstrated that we must utilise all available avenues to promote our goals. This platform has popularised the organization more than we imagined, as many people confessed they were unaware of the amazing work being done. We truly felt the essence of being guardians of seeds, love, life, and land in the most literal sense. The focus and passion of our volunteer farmers, who alternated daily at our stall to explain to the public, were at the highest level of respect and professionalism, contributing significantly to the huge turnout at the exhibition.
