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Lovemore Kadzura Rusape Correspondent
A local non-governmental organisation, Africa Ahead is complementing Government’s efforts to improve food and nutritional security in rural communities in Makoni through the establishment of nutritional gardens that villagers are using to produce healthy food.

It has so far set up 25 nutritional gardens in five wards in Makoni in partnership with Agritex and department of nutrition in the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

The programme is aimed at promoting preventive health targeting ailments such as malnutrition, kwashiorkor and stunting among other nutrition-related diseases.

The project is also critical to children under the age of five, the elderly who are living with chronic medical conditions.

Last week a delegation toured a thriving and successful Chiedza health club in Chinyika West in Headlands.

Africa Ahead country director Mr Regis Matimati said the projects were sustainable and would continue to operate when his organisation weans them off.

He said the project should run commercially as members were free to sell their surplus.

“We have so far established 25 nutritional gardens in Makoni which are being operated by health clubs with membership between 15 and 50. We are concentrating on horticultural produce such as tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, spinach, peas and butter-nut, among others.

“We are working with Agritex and Ministry of Health and Child Care in implementing this project and the results are phenomenal.

We are fighting malnutrition, kwashiorkor and stunting. Members of the clubs are predominantly women and if you empower a woman the whole household will benefit.

“The project is sustainable because the members own the gardens and some groups are already selling surplus. We are supplying open season variety seeds and they are GMO free. Going forward we need to go into local economic development by commercialising communal farming,” said Mr Matimati.

Mrs Monica Katyora, the chairperson of Chiedza health club said the project has contributed immensely to changing their eating habits as they are now following a recommended healthy diet.

“There are some cases of malnutrition and kwashiorkor in the area and the establishment of the nutritional gardens is reducing that.

We no longer have difficulties in getting relish which is recommended at clinics,” she said.