Horticultural project helps fight GBV

A HORTICULTURE garden in Nhlambabaloyi Village in Umguza district, Matabeleland North is busting gender-based violence as vulnerable and financially insecure community members have become economically viable while getting social support.

Established last year, the Thuthukani Luthi B Horticulture project is part of the gender-inclusive local economic development programme being implemented by the Government in collaboration with Gender Links.

Gender Links is the development partner working with Umguza Rural District Council to transform the lives of community members.

Fifty vulnerable community members were identified to be part of the project, which is already transforming lives.

Thuthukani Luthi B, as its name suggests, is changing the lives of the beneficiaries who are running a successful greenhouse farming venture producing cash crops including yellow pepper and red pepper, as well as tomatoes.

They are supplying markets in the hospitality industry with some of their produce reaching as far as Victoria Falls.

Thuthukani Luthi B Horticulture Garden Project chairperson, Mr Nkululeko Mhlanga, said the project covers mainly vulnerable women, the youth and men and it has even mitigated GBV cases.

“This project has uplifted us as the Ntabazinduna community. We now have markets where we sell our products and one of our objectives is to tackle gender-based violence,” said Mr Mhlanga.

“We have some of our members who were victims of gender-based violence, but working together has seen some of our members opening up on GBV. The victims of GBV are now financially empowered, and they are no longer dependants.”

Mr Mhlanga said each of the 50 members gets a minimum of US$70 monthly depending on the market price of their products.