BULAWAYO – Vulnerable women including widows and teen mums will receive free training on oyster mushroom farming in Bulawayo on Satrday.
The training is organised by Gemstone International Foundation for Transformation (GIFT) in collaboration with the Mkheswa Voluntary Centre.
The training, to be held in Hillcrest suburb, will not only focus on mushroom farming but will also equip the women with agro-economic and agri-preneurship skills, said GIFT founding director Patience Tarumbwa.
“We are working as a team with Mkheswa Voluntary Centre which deals with mushroom farming and education and we are there to impart agri-preneurship skills, capacitate women and together engage other stakeholders in making sure that we follow through and provide assistance in their entrepreneurship journey because we want to see them succeed,” Tarumbwa said.
“Financially capacitated women are less likely to be victimised and exploited hence through such initiatives we know that we are ending some social injustices against women in Zimbabwe.”
Tarumbwa sees many possibilities for mushroom hubs in the Matabeleland.
Mushroom farming and consumption in Zimbabwe is not considered to be particularly high, but those who venture into it can enjoy a relatively uncrowded niche.
At local supermarkets, mushrooms cost between US$3 to US$5 per kilogramme.
Zimbabwe produced 770 tonnes of mushrooms in 2018, 800 tonnes in 2019 and 830 tonnes in 2020, according to Food and Agriculture Organisation Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT) estimates.
