Women Can Make A Difference in the World

In Gowke, Zimbabwe, a compassionate mother named Netsai Sibanda nurtures her family’s dreams of changing their lives for the better.

Each morning is a blessing to wake up in Netsai’s eyes. In rural Zimbabwe, she began to pursue a life long labor of farming to sustain a living for her children and herself.

Eight years ago, an unfortunate event occurred. Netsai’s husband died which left her stranded to support three of her children during four months of pregnancy. Without a patriarch in the family, Netsai had absolutely no right to live in her husband’s homestead.

A hopeless feeling crept on her as the days go on…

“I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next, you know we women have very few rights here.”

Netsai’s life would ultimately reshape the lives of her children and every women around her by neither accepting the choices of moving back home to her parents or marrying her husband’s younger brother.

She rather relied on the Concern-supported Star Programme for assistance. This bold movement allowed Netsai to persuade her in-laws on pursuing her to farm her land. As a mother of three kids, Netsai takes pride in giving her children the nutrition and guidance they need to remain humble without a father.

“I didn’t want to take another man for support like so many mothers have to…

My husband may be dead, but I have children to live for.”

Her family’s full belly attest Netsai’s skills as a farmer. Most of their foods that they consume come from the small plot of land in Zimbabwe that they produce to sell.

“Farming is doing this to me. I sell what we can produce and we eat the rest.”

For the first time in her life, Netsai’s farming prospered. She has been able to successfully feed her children and provide a home as well as education for them. As Netsai states, “I want them [my children] to be intelligent and know they are not disadvantaged just because their father died.”

But Netsai is a rare success story. Over 805 million people across the globe do not obtain enough food to maintain a better health and condition due to degraded lands as a small farmer. Without an entry way to the most simple yet vital resources, small farmers will suffer in failure and famine. Without any access of transportation, small farmers are doomed.

However, the United Nations World Food Programme set forth on giving aid to small farmers. WFP also assist on training small farmers, including women like Netsai.

Netsai is now a powerful impact among women in her community. She stated, “I don’t need a man for money.”

A liberating women like Netsai is one of the most sufficient ways to break poverty and hunger. If female farmers had the same access to tools and resources like men do, the hunger would reduce to 150 million people worldwide.

Once again, another mother saves the day.

When asked, “How can a mother like Netsai be so important?”

I smile and say, “Because women are the heart of the family.”