In the arid lands of Kasikili Jabula, Ward 55 in Hwange District, hope is growing—literally. Thanks to the Smallholder Agriculture Cluster Project (SACP), villagers once planting only to survive are now running a thriving solar-powered garden that feeds 35 households and generates income. With training, irrigation, and unity, this one-hectare Village Business Unit is transforming lives, turning drought-stricken soil into a hub of opportunity, resilience, and rural enterprise.
Sharleen Mohammed
For years, villagers in Kasikili Jabula, Ward 55 of Hwange District, relied on erratic rainfall and small backyard gardens to feed their families. The land was there, but without proper irrigation or support, farming was a gamble and most families barely had enough to eat, let alone sell.
“We used to plant just for survival,” says Mrs. Norah Ndlovu, a mother of five.
“Sometimes, the crops would dry up before we even got a harvest. We didn’t think farming could actually change our lives.”
That changed when the Government, through the Smallholder Agriculture Cluster Project (SACP), established a one-hectare garden the Kasikili Jabula Village Business Unit (VBU).
The project brought in a solar-powered irrigation system, a trained Agriculture Business Advisory Officer, and organized villagers into a business unit. The garden now supports 35 households growing crops like okra, carrots, spinach, tomatoes, onions, cabbage, maize and even watermelons.
“In the first season alone, we made over USD 4,000,” says Mercy Chikava, the project’s Agribusiness Officer. “Now we’re expecting to reach USD 7,000. This garden is no longer just about food it’s business.”
For beneficiaries, the garden has become a lifeline. Families now enjoy nutritious meals and steady incomes, and they’re learning to treat agriculture as a serious economic activity.
“We are no longer waiting for handouts,” says Mr. Jabulani Moyo, a young farmer. “With this project, I managed to buy school uniforms for my children. Next season, I want to invest in a goat project.”
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Professor Dr. Obert Jiri, officially commissioned the garden, praising it as a model of rural enterprise especially given the area falls under agro-ecological region 5B, one of the driest and most challenging regions to farm in.
Professor Jiri said: "This project is a clear example of how government efforts under the Presidential Rural Development Programme are transforming lives, village by village."
“Where there was hunger and uncertainty, there is now hope, income, and dignity,” he noted.
With better irrigation, training and marketing, the Kasikili Jabula VBU has become more than just a garden it’s a community success story. Villagers now dream bigger.
“In a few years, we want to export our vegetables” says Mrs. Ndlovu with a smile.
“We’re just getting started.”
