A NON-GOVERNMENTAL organisation, Sisonke Working Together Trust, has commissioned an indigenous climate change centre of excellence in Bulilima district, Matabeleland South.
The centre was commissioned by Headman Lenny Chitaudzi Khuphe of ward 4, Nyele Bulilima district, on Friday last week.
In his remarks during the official opening, Khuphe encouraged his subjects to adapt and mitigate against climate change and to work with government in combating climate change.
“We want to thank Sisonke Working Together Trust, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, for complementing government’s efforts in the fight against climate change. This has improved and increased crop yields.
“I also want to thank Matobo Research institution for providing seed for trials and demonstrations, which also encouraged the farmers to use the available agricultural extension services (Agritex),” he said.
Khuphe encouraged women farmers to go into lucrative crop value chains so that they can process and brand their products to counter financial insecurity.
Sisonke Working Together Trust director Themba Phiri said the indigenous climate change centre of excellence was the first of its kind in rural Matabeleland.
“This centre will be linked to all research stations and universities in a bid to align it with the changing weather patterns,” he said.
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“The centre will also serve as a training facility in subject areas such as sustainable agricultural practices, precision agriculture, smart agricultural practices in promoting cover crops and small grains, just to mention a few.”
Sisonke Working Together Trust, Bulawayo, last year launched green spaces projects in Cowdray Park, Mzilikazi and Makokoba in Bulawayo, in which members of the community are assisted in turning waste dump sites into gardens.
"The programme is continuing to rope in more townships, the latest being Cowdray Park. The organisation has created clubs in each township. Bulawayo City Council, Environmental Management Agency and the communities in the mentioned townships stand to be the main stakeholders of this programme,” Phiri said.
“Some of the immediate goals of the programme are to cut emissions, go into recycling projects and then turn these small dump sites into gardens. Two of our co-ordinators in the programme, Sane Siwela and Leo Mhlanga, attribute the success of the programme to a good community buy-in as communities volunteer their time for this carbon-sinking programme idea.”
In a bid to leverage on and promote environmental awareness, Sisonke Working Together Trust went a notch higher by turning all illegal dumping areas into food gardens.
“A case in point is in Makokoba, where a group of Women led by Olga Sibanda, Judith Lusinga and Sisonke coordinator Sane Siwela have initiated a food and security garden programme by turning all waste dump sites into gardening programmes. The initiative is being hailed as a step in the right direction because instead of littering, communities will be actively engaged in food security programmes,” he said.
Phiri said his organisation was working with the Matopos Research Institution to promote the adoption of small grains at a large scale in Matabeleland South and the major varieties targeted are SV4 for sorghum and PMV5 for pearl millet.
