Buhera celebrates International Day of Rural Women
DUMISANI CHAUKE
BUHERA – Hundreds of rural women in Buhera converged at Gotora Primary School in Ward 22 to showcase their products and share success stories during belated celebrations of the International Day of Rural Women.
International Day of Rural Women is celebrated annually on 15 October to highlight the essential role that rural women and girls play in the food systems of the world, and this year it was running under the theme: “Rural Women Cultivating Good Food for All”.
Various farming products like small grains, groundnuts and different types of dried vegetables (mufushwa) formed part of the exhibits.
The guest of honour, Christina Taranhike, who is known for her Integral Kumusha brand in Buhera said she is passionate about seeing rural women empowered and visible in national development.
“As a woman and a female role model in terms of farming, my passion is to see rural women gainfully empowered and enabled to be resilient and to participate freely and effectively in the development process in line with the national NDS1 and Vision 2030,” said Taranhike.
She also urged women to adopt the use of solar system for irrigation, farming small grains and the pfumvudza programme which can improve food security and nutrition even in the face of the harsh effects of climate change.
Buhera District Development Officer under the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Tafadzwa Maripfonde acknowledged the importance of women as they engage in farming activities that spearhead development in the country.
“The exhibitions we have seen today demonstrate the importance of rural women and the crucial role they are playing towards national development,” said Maripfonde.
Gladys Togara of Kasirekondo Village said she is producing bumper harvests every year through pfumvudza despite not having draught power, but uses her bare hands to do her farming.
“I’m practising pfumvudza and I’m transforming my family’s life through farming, ” said Togara.
Tariro Tombido, a woman from the same village said she has also improved her family’s livelihood through farming and managing to send her children to school.