Mutare, Zimbabwe – At a shared garden in eastern Zimbabwe, solar-powered pumps are helping farmers grow crops year round, even when drought dries out other fields.
By: Farai Shawn Matiashe
After sunrise over Chitiyo village in eastern Zimbabwe, Berita Numbi is already in her usual spot.
She is watering vegetables grown in elevated, bounded plots of soil in her portion of the community garden just outside Mutare, the country’s third-largest city.
Three years ago, this would not have been possible in winter, as the rivers in her area are seasonal.
The newly established garden has a solar-powered borehole that supplies piped water throughout the year.
“We no longer worry about water,” says the 32-year-old, who has lived in this farming community all her life.
Known as Mutekwatekwa Community Garden, the site is shared by 50 farmers who started planting tomatoes, onions, peas and fruit trees in 2023.
Zimbabwe is betting on such gardens to boost food security, improve nutrition and empower locals.
The southern African country is targeting 35,000 boreholes in rural areas, with a government plan to install one solar-powered borehole in each of the country’s villages.
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