Climate Proofing Agriculture in Zimbabwe's Nyangani Mountains

Jan 30, 2023

 

Charamba Micro Dam Program

In the parched lands of Zimbabwe, where rainfall is a rare commodity, lies the small village of Charamba. This sun-baked land has always struggled with water scarcity and the harsh conditions have made farming near impossible. But, with the help of USADF grant funding and the expertise of USADF local partner LEAD, the Charamba Cooperative has been able to turn the tide and turn their barren lands into a fertile oasis.

Charamba Cooperative, a small farmer cooperative of 500 members, specialize in growing crops like potatoes, sugar beans, onions, tomatoes, and garlic. With the USADF grant of US$210,000, the cooperative was able to construct 11 micro dams with a total capacity of almost 4 million liters, tapping water from the Nyangani Mountains and underground aquifers. Solar pumping systems were installed to fill the dams, and the water was then fed into the individual plots of the farmers, bringing life to their once-barren lands.

This project created 400 full-time and 800 part-time jobs and increased land production from 100 to 200 hectares per production cycle. And, since its inception, Charamba has paid over $1.25 million to farmers, a staggering 530% increase from the baseline. This once-desolate desert has been transformed into a land of abundance and opportunity, thanks to the hard work of the Charamba Cooperative and the support of USADF and LEAD.