By Takudzwa Musakasa
In an effort to transform the economic fortunes of the Mtshingwe community, mining giant, Mimosa Platinum Mine is assisting local farmers by providing the Mtshingwe Nursery project with hybrid vegetable and fruit seedlings.
One of the top greenhouses in Zimbabwe, Mtshingwe Nursery got it’s acknowledgement from Chief Mafala at a recent meeting at the nursery.
Chief Mafala said the nursery will go a long way in transforming the social and economic landscape in the community.
“It is through them that we are acquiring seedlings and fruit tree seeds which changes lives because people are going to start growing trees as part of afforestation, for sale and for consumption,” said Chief Mafala.
Furthermore, the nursery has also associated itself with Mtshingwe Primary School, with the head, Hebson Ruvaza saying due to the nursery aid, they can now commercialize horticulture.
He added that the nursery had offered agriculture students an opportunity to do practicals, know more about agriculture and how to commercialize it.
Ellen Chivi, Head of Agritex Zvishavane district credited the nursery for giving the community the drive to afforestation thereby advocating for environmental change.
The Mtshingwe Nursery is run by the local community on a self-sustainability basis and is being supported by MIMOSA as part of the company’s re-greening exercise aimed at combating land degradation.
Mimosa has partnered other stakeholders, including Friends of the Environment in its project aimed at planting 500 million trees by 2026.
This is part of the company’s Zero Harm to the Environment policy target in line with the Sustainable Development Goals on the environment.
