Communities living alongside Limpopo National Park are no longer dependent on rainwater to grow crops, thanks to a new irrigation system that enables production right through the dry season.
In Massingir, the project team prepared the land and installed irrigation equipment.
“They gave us 17 hectares of farmland and an irrigation system with a motor pump,” says Jackson Cuna, president of Banga Association.
The community formed an association to manage and maintain the system. They have been trained to design furrows and plant crops.
Now, they grow enough food to feed their families and earn an ncome by selling the surplus.
This is part of a network of seven irrigation schemes that now support 75 hectares of irrigated land.
Funding is made possible through the Financial Cooperation of BMZ (Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development) and KfW. The project enables community members to grow crops in large quantities without needing extensive land.
The IUCN is the Project Executing Agency for the SADC TFCA Financing Facility which is a regional financing mechanism for SADC TFCAs, supported through the partnership of SADC Secretariat and International Co-operating Partners.
“As a technician, I feel very fulfilled because the new techniques show results. People are earning an income and not just feeding themselves,” says Felismina Banze, TFCA Livelihoods Officer for Peace Parks Foundation.
The project supports self-sufficiency, reducing pressure on the park’s resources.
“We support seven irrigation schemes to conserve habitats and species, while promoting development for local communities,” IUCN’s Kudakwashe Chigodo says.
In total, 620 beneficiaries – including 423 women and 197 men – have been selected from surrounding community areas to participate in this initiative.
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