RWA Zimbabwe held its Photographic Seed Exhibition, at Harare Botanical Gardens from the 13th to the 18th of September 2024. The exhibition was well attended and attracted many people which were close to 2000, it became a centre of attraction, and all the visitors and stakeholders appreciated the work that was done by rural women. Amongst the visitors to the stall, was the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, stakeholders from regional countries including Kenya, Ghana and Swaziland. The exhibition was conducted for six days, running under the theme “Our Seed have Stories”. The first two days of the exhibition were running parallel with Good Food Festival event and the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (ASFA) Tripartite event. The two days where days were strategic as they made people to connect more RWA seed stories and the seed audit journey. The seed savers and seed audit enumerators were part of event and they the ones who were explaining to the visitors and stakeholders about the seed audit journey. The visitors appreciated to get firsthand information and see that some of the women where the one documented in the displayed pictures.
The Photographic Seed Exhibition was an enlightening and visually stunning event that highlighted the invaluable role traditional seeds play in maintaining biodiversity and preserving cultural heritage. It provided a platform for visitors to reflect on the importance of seed preservation, not just for food security but as a part of the cultural fabric of communities worldwide. RWA Zimbabwe organised chairs to accommodate visitors to come and sit as they were reading and listening to the RWA seed audit journey. By showcasing the beauty and diversity of traditional seeds through photography, the exhibition succeeded in fostering a greater appreciation for the role of these seeds in lives of people. The exhibition was a celebration of both the art of photography and the wisdom of generations of women farmers dedicated to the preservation of our traditional seeds.
What stood out in the exhibition was the strong emphasis on the relationship between rural women and their traditional seeds. One of the visitors who visited the stall said, “In contrast to industrial agriculture, where seeds are often seen as commodities, traditional seeds are portrayed as cultural treasures that are essential for community identity and resilience”. She really appreciated the good work rural women do in preserving the traditional seeds. The exhibition also provided an opportunity to discuss about the growing threats to loss traditional farming practices, due climate change. The discussion also emphasized the need for and importance of continuing preservation of traditional seed for future generations and maintaining biodiversity. Apart from the above RWA Zimbabwe also took the opportunity as an advocacy platform, rural women demanded justice in protection of their traditional seed and recognition of their rights as the custodians of seed.
Below are some of the pictures of the Seed exhibition
Flier for the seed exhibition event
Some of the that were taken during the Seed exhibition event
