Shupikai’s garden farm: an empowerment story from Zimbabwe

Local churches supporting community needs

Zimbabwe Orphans Through Extended Hands (ZOE), one of Tearfund’s local partners, ran a programme to help Shupikai. It was originally set up in 2003 as a response to the number of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Today, ZOE continues to support local churches as they work to meet their communities’ needs.

Shupikai first came across ZOE in 2020. ‘When my husband passed away I faced some challenges because I did not have enough knowledge,’ she says. ‘Nowadays, I am able to afford whatever I need with my family.

Empowering widows and orphans

‘ZOE helps widows and orphans and they also assisted me with knowledge,’ she explains. ‘We were taught a lot of things – including poultry farming and goat rearing. We were also taught… about climate change, and what to look for when the weather is about to change. This allows me, as a farmer, to know which seeds to buy and I can plant according to seasons.’

Through setting up self-help groups – where members meet together regularly to pray, to support each other and to receive training and learn new skills to find ways to make a living – ZOE helps participants like Shupikai to save money together so that group members can access easy-to-repay loans.

‘We buy groceries and other necessities as a group,’ explains Shupikai. ‘I bought a four-plate stove using some of the money from the group. All this knowledge allows me to feed my family and clothe myself and children. All this motivates me to keep working.

‘Now I am able to worship and pray with others as well as teach women to be independent!’

Poultry and planting vegetables

Shupikai now has chickens to do poultry farming along with a garden project that she grows and sells vegetables from. She tells us that her favourite Bible verse is the one that says, ‘Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!’ She says it makes her feel encouraged to work hard using her hands.

Beyond that, Shupikai says, ‘I was also taught to help those in need. We were taught to be independent and to look out for children being abused in our community [and how to help].’ In this way, the group members are able to help protect children in their community.

Meeting up as a group with other widows and orphans also provides a source of comfort for Shupikai, she says. 

Hope for the future

Shupikai aims to build a fence around her homestead to keep all her farming and her home safe. She also says, ‘I’d like to continue to acquire more knowledge regarding my projects and build another house to add on to my homestead!’ She would also like to get seeds and pesticides and a nearby water source for her garden – at the moment she has to walk uphill to fetch water every day, which is hard, time-consuming work.

‘When I pray, I ask God for good health so that I can work using my own hands every day. To my friends in the United Kingdom,’ she asks, ‘when they pray, please pray to God asking for health and safekeeping.’

Please join us in praying for Shupikai and, if you can, please give to help more people around the world access training and support that will help release them from poverty.