Mr. and Mrs. Vushe and their keyhole garden.

A Love for Gardening Unleashed

Henry and Alice Vushe live in Machakata Village with their two sons, a granddaughter and Alice’s sister. Until recently, they lived in extreme poverty and suffered from diseases caused by poor hygiene, contaminated drinking water, and toxic smoke. But that has all changed. A community well installed by Bopoma Villages and located less than a kilometre from their home provides plenty of clean water for drinking, cooking, bathing and gardening.

Bopoma Villages taught the Vushe’s how to build and maintain a biointensive keyhole garden which unleashed a keen love of gardening. In addition to the usual nutritious produce found in a keyhole garden in Machakata Village which typically includes kale, amaranth, sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and onions, the Vushe’s have cultivated an extended garden of banana, orange and mango trees and a grapevine. They produce an abundance of fruit and vegetables which their two older sons sell at the roadside. With an unemployment rate of 90% in Zimbabwe, almost no young people have jobs. Training in biointensive farming has equipped  them to grow and sell fresh produce, the opportunity to earn income, help support their family, and create a better future.

The health of the Vushe family has greatly improved through the installation of a tippy tap hand-washing station, a Biosand water filter and a rocket stove for outdoor cooking. Alice loves her rocket stove. Gone are the toxic fumes caused by indoor cooking over an open fire. They are breathing fresh air and their trips to the hospital have been all but eliminated.

Your generous support of the Vushe family has helped them overcome poverty and live healthier lives with bright hope for the future. Donate now to bring life-transforming training to more families in need.

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