Brethren In Christ Compassionate & Development Services

Celebration of Women Farmers: International Women’s Month

The month of March has seen the world over religiously celebrate women across all walks of life. It is as the month ends, that as Brethren in Christ Compassionate and Development Services we feel compelled to not take lightly the extra ordinary foundation and engagement we have built with our female farmers as we brandish their resilience and brilliance.
Over the years, we have had the pleasure to work with volunteer farmers who up to date account up to 70% female participation and continue to show dedication in their numbers. Women’s dedication to farming is what would have them survive the hunger strife brought forth by climate change and outbreak of the world biting virus-COVID-19 which not only caused a dreadful loss of life globally, but its existence would soon shatter the world’s economic pillars. To note is the unfortunate implications of farmer target markets as COVID-19 restrictions were leveled out to contain the virus, and would mean a non-existent transportation of goods to consumers they normally would have been selling to.
The competence of female farmers is applaudable as albeit being burdened by other household chores, they continue to vibrantly, and determinately juggle up farming activities too. Their attitude continues to demonstrate their ability to sustainably produce their own food and all the same refraining them from being reduced to beggars. In the long run, their commitment to such developmental issues reduces their vulnerability. On this account, part of the implementation of the Gwanda Gender Sensitive Food Security Program (GGSFSP) looks into contributing to improved gendered food security and resilient livelihoods and would have women in farming learning a lot about empowering themselves.
Through team work, they have not only learnt to produce food for themselves but to fight against aid dependency and have therefore come to appreciate the need to preach the language of women empowerment. It is also intriguing that some women who have also notedly come of age are almost always seen running around and taking the world of farming to a greater level. Given that the farmers have also been educated of conservation agriculture (CA), their use of such methods of farming sees them achieve improved harvests as compared to years prior to them attaining that knowledge. As it stands, these farmers value conservation agriculture as it affords them opportunity of producing food in a sustainable, climate smart and environmentally friendly way.
It is as such that as the month of celebrating women ends, we reflect on women involved in farming, who have not only taken farming by storm but into their hearts and are gladly producing for their food security, financial sustainability and improved household livelihoods. At BIC CDS together with our valued partners, we continue to identify and work towards improving upon the welfare of vulnerable and food insecure communities.

Peace Sunday preparations are underway. Here are some suggestions from the Mennonite World Conference.