By Wallace Mawire
Through a partnership between the Government of Zimbabwe, UNDP Zimbabwe and the Government of the UK through FCDO, the Hakwata Drip Irrigation Garden in Chipinge District is showing how climate-smart agriculture can help rural communities withstand climatic shocks and stresses while building stronger livelihoods. Established in September 2024 under the Climate Adaptation Water and Energy Programme (CAWEP), the garden is located in a semi-arid area that receives just 450mm to 650mm of rainfall annually and is highly vulnerable to prolonged dry spells and extreme heat.
With 113 members, the garden has grown into a productive and increasingly self-sustaining enterprise. After a challenging first crop cycle, participants reinvested their initial earnings into the next season, applying business skills gained through the project.
In the second crop cycle, members planted 15,000 tomato plants and 15,000 cabbage plants, harvesting 9.8 tonnes of tomatoes worth US$2,724 and 17 tonnes of cabbage worth US$2,302 between June and August. In November 2025, tomatoes and green mealies from the third cycle generated about US$1,929.
The garden is now fully self-sufficient in accessing markets, selling 98 percent of its produce to the local Checheche growth point, neighbouring Mozambique and surrounding villages without external support. It is also strengthening household food security, with members sharing about 20 kilograms of tomatoes per household during the second crop cycle.
Income generated by the garden is supporting wider community benefits. The committee invested US$285 from garden proceeds to build a dedicated sales shed, replacing an unsafe selling point under the garden’s water tank stand. Members have also established systems to manage the initiative sustainably, including depositing income into a bank account and prioritising reinvestment to strengthen future production.
Farmers have shown strong adaptability by adjusting crops to market demand and local conditions, while the drip irrigation system allows for precise water use with minimal waste. In a region where rainfed agriculture often fails, the garden is becoming an important safety net for household income, food security and school costs.
As Ndaizivei Makhuyana, Chairlady of the Hakwata Garden, said: “Madiridziro ndopaneupenyu wedu, kuno mwaka mizhinji kunonaya mvura shoma saka hapana chatinonyatsokohwa kumunda nekuda kwemvura shoma” (“Irrigation is our lifeline; in this part of Chipinge it rarely rains, so we barely harvest anything from our fields because of the little rain”).
The Hakwata Garden shows how climate-smart irrigation, business skills and community determination can turn vulnerability into resilience and sustainability.
