Turning Harvests into Opportunity: Kirimuva and Green Gardens Welcome Empowering Workshops

Above: Sam Ncube, Kirimuva chairperson, introducing Cynthia Van and addressing the gardeners.

A fresh wave of excitement and optimism swept through the communities of Pumula and Sizinda as Mrs. Cynthia Van was warmly introduced to the dedicated gardeners of Kirimuva and Green Gardens.

With admirable enthusiasm, she outlined her mission to begin value-addition training workshops that will empower gardeners to skillfully commercialise and preserve their excess vegetables.

The gatherings were vibrant and welcoming, as community members eagerly listened to her vision of transforming simple produce into market-ready products, thereby increasing income and reducing waste.

Her arrival was not only timely but also deeply inspiring, bringing renewed hope for sustainable growth in the gardens.

"I am excited to work with you and share my skills in transforming our vegetables into sauces, pickled foods, and dried products we can sell or store," said Cynthia enthusiastically.

Above: Cynthia Van addressing Kirimuva gardern members.

During her introduction, Mrs. Van attentively toured the flourishing beds of leafy greens, ripe tomatoes, and nutritious cabbages, observing with thoughtful curiosity, the wide variety of crops that held immense potential for value addition.

She spoke passionately about teaching practical skills such as drying, pickling, and preserving, which would significantly extend the shelf life of their produce while opening new streams of income. Gardeners responded eagerly, engaging her with questions and ideas—a clear sign of their readiness to embrace innovation.

"We welcome you to Kirimuva Garden and we look forward to learning from you and commercialising our produce,” Sam Ncube, Kirimuva Garden chairperson, commented with eager anticipation.

The day ended on a hopeful note with a shared sense of determination and optimism for the workshops that promise to turn hard work in the soil into lasting prosperity.

Above: Ketty Sibanda Green garderns chairperson and Cynthia Van( ZDDT value addition expert) share a warm welcome handshak.