Raising Champion Farmers

Following on from the last issue, we share again about the 2025 Helping-Hand Appeal and its focus on Food Security. In this issue, we meet another farmer from The Salvation Army’s Raising Champion Farmers project in Zimbabwe, exploring the life-changing outcomes of conservation agriculture.

Machanzi Pfumojena, a Raising Champion Farmers project coordinator, trains family farmers in the Bindura Division of northern Zimbabwe in conservation agriculture techniques. Through his work, he has seen firsthand how climate change impacts rural communities and challenges livelihoods. He says:

The impact of climate change has been severe. We are experiencing extremes of weather and the rainfall is actually changing over time. The Raising Champion Farmers project is trying to mitigate the severity of the drought in the country. We need to scale up and impact more communities, encouraging more livelihoods to adopt climate-smart agriculture including moisture conservation, crop rotation and maintaining very high standards of production. We need to take action to ensure that the population survives other extremes of these weather regimes that are prevailing these days.

Family farmers around the world are on the front line of the climate crisis. In the face of unpredictable rainfall, severe drought and extreme weather events, each day they work hard to nurture the land they depend on.

However, the traditional farming methods they have relied on season after season are no longer yielding enough food to live on. Machanzi has been working alongside farmers to cultivate change.

Across three divisions in the Zimbabwe Territory, 300 farmers have received training in conservation agriculture, a method that emphasises the importance of working with the land to strengthen rather than subdue it. Through techniques such as soil coverage, zero tillage and crop rotation, as well as the use of organic compost rather than synthetic fertilisers, the land is being nourished and restored.

For families who rely on a successful harvest to survive, there is no safety net. A good crop is the difference between life and death.

Knowledge Chiyere lives with his wife Plexadis, their three sons and his grandmother. Some of Knowledge’s neighbours were hesitant to join the Raising Champion Farmers project, unsure about the new techniques. However, Knowledge signed up without hesitation, eager to explore new farming methods. Yet when he began, some of the techniques felt unfamiliar to him. He says:

We used to farm using synthetic fertilisers and chemicals, but through the project we have learned different techniques. We have learned farming practices that don’t use herbicides or chemicals.

The results have been amazing. Now, Knowledge grows enough vegetables to feed the family and to sell at the market.

The difference with the crops and vegetables we are planting now, compared to the crops we used to plant and grow, is that they grow better and are much tastier than before. Even though the rainfall is erratic, we have been getting good yields. The success of the project has generated a lot of local interest.

The impact is clear – the results are inspiring curiosity in the community. Some of his neighbours who were once sceptical are now asking if they can join the project.

People are now admiring the way we are working. We are teaching them the skills we have learned, and people are interested in understanding these techniques. They want to know more about how we are doing it. We can all benefit, and most people are happy with this project. This is good for the community and will help us succeed.

By adopting conservation agriculture, farmers like Knowledge can build a more sustainable future for themselves and their communities. He says:

My dream for the future is to be a master farmer who will be able to help others. That’s my greatest desire. If I can, I want to help my community so that people know how to farm and make their lives better.

Raising Champion Farmers is fostering change as farmers like Knowledge share their experiences and inspire their communities. By working together, they are adapting to climate challenges, strengthening food security and restoring the land. Each harvest is a step toward a more sustainable future.

It’s not only about growing food – it’s also about nurturing land and harvesting hope.

Helping-Hand Appeal

The Helping-Hand Appeal raises money for a different area of The Salvation Army’s work each year. All money raised during 2025 will fund our international Food Security projects.

There are many ways to get involved in the Helping-Hand Appeal. We have created a selection of resources to help corps, churches and community groups to explore the theme of food security and learn more about The Salvation Army’s projects around the world.

We would love to hear how you are supporting the appeal! Whether you are organising a bake sale, hosting a sponsored event or coming up with your own creative idea, let us know how you’re fundraising and making a difference. Your efforts play a crucial role in helping to support family farmers to find sustainable solutions to food insecurity. Together we can make a lasting impact.

What your money could do:

• £15 could support a farmer with the cost of seeds for one year

• £150 could buy basic tools and materials (such as hoes and string) for ten farmers

• £1,500 could cover the cost of running the conservation agriculture training course for six months.

How can I donate?

• Give a donation to your local Salvation Army corps or Family Ministries group

• Donate online: salvationist.org.uk/helpinghand

By Hayley Still