FARMERS in Matobo, Matabeleland South, are enjoying bumper harvests after adopting an innovative approach introduced by the Sisonke Working Together Trust, a non-governmental organisation, aimed at combating food insecurity in the district.
The shift from maize to small grains such as sorghum, millet and rapoko is proving transformative for farmers in this drought-prone region.
By adopting climate-resilient crops and practical adaptation techniques, communities in Matobo and Bulilima are not only improving food security but also boosting household incomes, effectively turning traditional challenges of erratic rainfall and repeated droughts into new opportunities for sustainable agriculture.
The trust encourages farmers to move from maize, which often fails under harsh climatic conditions, to small grains that can withstand erratic rains. Matabeleland South has faced repeated droughts that have caused severe food shortages, forcing villagers to rely on donor handouts.
In an interview, Matobo district small grains lead farmer Getrude Sibanda said the Sisonke programme had transformed her farming.
“Most of the farmers in Matabeleland South are now calling me for assistance because of the erratic rains,” Sibanda said.
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She has, however, referred them to the Sisonke programme.
Sibanda said her success in climate change adaptive technologies assisted her in growing and tending to small grains.
“I have a makeshift rain gauge from a 500 gramme tin perched on a one-metre stick. This helped me to understand how to adapt to climate change,” she said.
Communities in Matabeleland South’s Bulilima and Matobo districts are adapting to small grains resilience farming mechanisms to mitigate against food insecurity.
In Bulilima, most of the farmers who have adopted the programme are in ward 4, Tokwana area, under Chief Masendu.
In Matobo, the farmers who adopted the programme are mostly in ward 3 in the Gohole area.
Sisonke Working Together Trust director Themba Maseko Phiri recently revealed that most households that have adapted and used small grains had their yields doubled.
“Zimbabwe is on the frontline of climate change and this is evident in Bulilima and Matobo districts in Matebeleland South province in the country,” he said.
“Recurrent droughts, mid-season droughts and early arrival rains have been a great setback for farmers living in agro-ecological regions 4 and 5.”
For decades, maize — Zimbabwe’s staple crop — has suffered repeated failures, leaving many households vulnerable to hunger.
In response, communities in Matabeleland South are successfully adapting by embracing small grains across drought-prone regions.
Phiri highlighted the critical role played by grassroots organisations such as Sisonke Working Together Trust in facilitating this transition.
The organisation empowers farmers to adapt to climate change by promoting small grains for both household consumption and commercial production.
“Through practical and online training, seed access, awareness campaigns and community engagement, Sisonke Working Together Trust is supporting most farming households to shift from the high-risk maize to traditional small grains,” he said.
Phiri added that this approach strengthens farmers’ ability to make informed decisions, improve yields and protect their livelihoods amid climate uncertainty.