Seven ways you can make the most of home-grown food and protect our planet
HARARE, ZIMBABWE, April 10, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- In celebration of Earth Day, graduates of CAMFED, the Campaign for Female Education in rural Africa, are sharing their climate-smart gardening tips for a better harvest in unpredictable times. Young women like Esnath Divasoni from Zimbabwe, who have received CAMFED's support, live in communities heavily reliant on farming and vulnerable to droughts and floods that threaten food security. They volunteer as peer mentors in schools and communities, sharing climate information and smart gardening techniques, showing that small changes in gardens everywhere can make a world of difference.
Ready to transform your garden, growing nutritious food and climate resilience at the same time? Here are seven simple tips Esnath and her fellow farmers have compiled for you:
- Mulch like a pro: Mulching helps retain moisture, keeps soil warm and nourishes your garden over time. Whether using grass clippings, leaves or straw, it's an eco-friendly way to support plant growth and conserve water. Best of all, it's practically free.
- Preserve the harvest, save the planet: Got extra produce? Don't let it go to waste! Drying fruits and vegetables in the sun, a common technique in rural Africa, locks in nutrients without the need for refrigeration. You can also freeze food, make jams or chutneys, or pickle your excess produce. And remember, the spirit of "ubuntu" means looking out for one another. Check out mobile apps that allow your neighbors to collect spare food from you.
- Repurpose plastic for a greener garden: That old plastic bottle waiting to be tossed? It could become a garden's new best friend. Women in Zimbabwe have created low-cost irrigation systems using plastic bottles. By simply cutting off the base, poking a hole in the cap and inverting the bottle near plants, you can save water and reduce plastic waste.
- Create edible landscapes that are beautiful and sustainable: Why not turn your garden into a beautiful and sustainable food source? Instead of just planting flowers, try growing herbs, fruits and vegetables. Chives, for example, are gorgeous and delicious. Edible landscaping isn't just trendy, it's a way to build a more sustainable garden that reduces food miles.
- Try intercropping for maximum returns: Want to boost garden productivity? This ancient practice involves planting multiple plant species in the same space. Not only does it increase yields, but it also enhances soil health and reduces the need for chemical fertilizers.
- Make it a community affair: Gardening is more fun when it's a team effort, and it's the perfect way to spread climate-conscious solutions. Join a local community garden and grow food together, share knowledge and support one another to create more resilient, sustainable communities.
- Expand your actions globally: You really can change the world by championing girls and women who are creating a sustainable future together. It's easy to get started by signing CAMFED's Global Sisterhood Pledge.
These climate-smart gardening tips are about growing a better future. Whether planting on a windowsill or in a backyard, adopting these strategies can reduce environmental footprints and help address climate change. Supporting Africa's climate-smart agriculture experts means joining a global movement for positive change.
For more information, visit camfed.org and see here for image library.
About CAMFED
Learn, thrive and lead change
CAMFED is a pan-African movement, revolutionizing how girls' education is delivered. Through a gold-standard system of accountability to the young people and communities we serve, we have created a model that radically improves girls' prospects of becoming independent, influential women. Our impact increases exponentially through the Association of young women educated with CAMFED's support, now numbering nearly 313,000.
Our collective efforts have already supported 7.8 million children to go to school across Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe (including 2.4 million girls at secondary level) and have benefited many more students through an improved educational environment across our partner schools. Together, we multiply the number of girls in school and accelerate their transition to secure livelihoods and leadership.
Follow us across social media: @camfed.
Media Contact
Cameron Catalano, CAMFED, 1 6507031842, [email protected], camfed.org
SOURCE CAMFED
Share this article