Precious Life Foundation’s Outgrower Project

Creating food security for rural households while empowering vulnerable women
2014 SEED Gender Equality Award; UN Women,2014 SEED Gender Equality Award; UNIDO,2014 SEED Gender Equality Award; Hogan Lovells
Sustainable Agriculture
Bulawayo
Zimbabwe

Bio-intensive, organic agricultural techniques are taught to women, who pass on their knowledge to the community. Local smallholder farmers are provided inputs and encouraged to adopt the techniques, and contribute financially to the project by providing labour,contributing to running costs, or by returning some of their produce to Precious Life. 

The enterprise acts as an intermediary between local farmers and the national market, selling on produce as well as secondary products like heirloom seeds. All profits are reinvested into the project. As a flow-on effect, the project addresses desertification in the Matabeleland region through promoting a more sustainable way of farming.

Eco-Inclusive Impacts
The Outgrower Project addresses the social welfare of women, reducing local unemployment and encouraging self-sufficiency. Agricultural knowledge is also passed on to local households, helping to increase food security and reduce economic vulnerability.
  • Providing training opportunities and skills for vulnerable women, thus empowering them to create a self-sufficient food supply and reducing unemployment levels.
  • Creating a culture of resilience for the local community who are encouraged to work together to achieve food security.
  • Addressing desertification of the Siphezini area through teaching locally adapted agricultural techniques.
  • Encouraging locals to adapt sustainable farming methods suited for the region like bio-intensive potato sack production.

 

  • Working towards a target of self-sufficiency within the community, thus making the region less economically vulnerable in regards to food supply.
  • Promoting a closed-circle economy whereby profits are reinvested back into the Outgrower Project to increase its presence in the community.

Partners

Precious Life Foundation’s Outgrower Project teaches bio-intensive, organic agricultural techniques to vulnerable women living at its shelter who then pass on their knowledge to the community. The enterprise empowers these women as teachers while working towards improved food security in Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland South Region. Women farmers who benefit from the training donate labour or produce back as a form of payment for service.

Precious Life Foundation is running a women’s shelter that includes several training courses and an agricultural centre. The Foundation runs and facilitates the Outgrower Project.

The Rotary Club of Bulawayo has provided a matching grant that has enabled Precious Life to purchase a pickup truck, build a reservoir, a shelter, two classrooms and a lodge on their premises.


The Ministry of Women's Affairs, Gender and Community Development has provided expertise in sack potato production. Continued expertise has been promised.

Mind the Gap is a non-profit organisation that helps Precious Life with marketing and sales for its agricultural products.