I come from Chirumhanzu

I come from a place where the soil taught me about life before I even knew that agriculture would become such a big part of my journey.

I grew up in Chirumhanzu, among people who understood that if you do not work, the field will not give you a harvest. I watched parents and farmers work hard, cultivating crops, keeping livestock and trying to make a living from the same soil that sometimes seemed to have very little left to give.

That is where I began to understand that farming is not simply about putting a seed into the soil. Farming is patience. Farming is faith. Farming is fighting for your family.

But I did not want to stop at simply being a farmer who farms to put food on the table.

I started asking myself:

How can we farm better?

How can we increase productivity?

How can a smallholder farmer become a commercial farmer?

How can a rural child acquire knowledge that can transform their community?

I began teaching myself agriculture. I became a self-taught agronomist, reading, asking questions, experimenting, making mistakes and learning again.

My passion for agriculture eventually led me to the Zimbabwe Farmers' Union (ZFU), where I had the opportunity to work alongside farmers, learn from others and see agriculture from a different perspective.

ZFU taught me something very important: A farmer is not simply someone who works in a field. A farmer is at the centre of the food system.

I met farmers of different ages and backgrounds: young and old, women and men. I listened to their challenges. I saw what farmers can achieve when they have access to knowledge, inputs, markets, finance, mechanisation and the right support.

My journey eventually opened other doors, including my attempt at the Nuffield Scholarship. I was not selected this time. Yes, it hurt.

But I did not see it as failure. I saw it as a lesson.

Sometimes a door does not open today not because you are unworthy of entering, but because your journey is still teaching you the things you will need to carry when that door eventually opens.

I will try again.

From Chirumhanzu, I eventually found myself in Mutoko, working with Landrix Agro-Trading.

Mutoko became another classroom for me, but this classroom was in the fields and among farmers, not only in books.

I travelled, visited farmers, irrigation schemes, field days and different communities. I saw the challenges on the ground: difficult roads, water challenges, access to inputs, markets, finance, mechanisation and the difficulty of reaching farmers who live far from commercial centres.

I learned that if you want to serve farmers, you cannot always sit in an office waiting for farmers to come to you. Sometimes, you have to go to them.

That is why I say my agricultural journey is not simply about selling fertiliser, seed or chemicals.

I want to understand the farmer.

I want to understand their soil.

I want to understand their business.

I want to understand their market.

I want to understand what is holding them back.

Because ultimately, when a farmer struggles, the entire food system feels the pain.

But through all of this, there is one thing I have never forgotten.

I am a farmer.

My dream is not to work in agriculture forever without eventually returning to build my own farm.

My dream is to build my own commercial farming enterprise.

I want to see a rural young person start small, and eventually grow into a farmer with six hectares, irrigation, mechanisation, livestock, fodder production, value addition and organised marketing.

I want an agricultural enterprise where I do not simply sell raw produce.

I want to see harvest transformed into value.

Milk becoming value-added dairy products.

Fruit becoming juice, jam or dried products.

Grain going into processing.

Livestock contributing to genetic improvement.

Waste returning to the soil as manure and organic matter.

I want a farm that can produce food, create jobs, teach others and build wealth.

My journey also led me to work with the Zimbabwe Commercial Rabbit Breeders Association. I became part of the organisation from its beginnings, at a time when farmers and rabbit breeders were coming together to build an industry with structure, knowledge and greater opportunities.

Being part of the early development of the Association taught me that organisations are not built by names alone. They are built by people with vision, unity, trust and a willingness to work towards a common purpose.

I saw the importance of bringing rabbit breeders together, sharing knowledge, improving breeding practices, promoting standards and opening market opportunities for farmers.

Working with the Zimbabwe Commercial Rabbit Breeders Association deepened my understanding that rabbit production can become a business that provides food, income, employment and opportunities for young people and smallholder farmers.

It also showed me that when farmers come together, they can help move an entire sector from a small-scale activity towards commercialisation.

My journey of growing as a leader in agriculture was also strengthened through the SACAU Young Leadership Incubation Course, delivered by the Andreas Hermes Akademie.

The programme gave me an opportunity to learn about leadership, self-awareness, communication, teamwork, advocacy and building organisations that represent farmers.

It helped me understand that a leader is not simply someone who speaks from the front. A leader listens, connects people, builds trust and turns knowledge into action.

Through that experience, I saw the importance of young people entering agriculture with vision, discipline and a willingness to serve others.

I learned that the future of our food system needs leaders who can connect farmers, the private sector, policymakers, researchers and other stakeholders to create meaningful change.

I came from Chirumhanzu.

I walked with ZFU.

I went to Mutoko.

I worked with Landrix.

I worked with the Zimbabwe Commercial Rabbit Breeders Association and was part of it from its beginnings.

I tried Nuffield.

I learned through the SACAU Young Leadership Incubation Course and the Andreas Hermes Akademie.

I have met more farmers than I ever imagined I would.

I have learned from success and from disappointment.

But the journey is not over.

There is still a rural child I want to show that agriculture is not a punishment.

There is still a farmer I want to help see the commercial potential in their field.

There is still a farm I want to build.

And there is a generation I want to see saying: “Agriculture is where my future is.”

So when you ask me: “Where do you come from?”

I will not simply say Chirumhanzu.

I will say:

I come from the rural communities.

I come from the soil.

I come from farmers.

I come from people who taught me how to work before I learned how to speak about success.

And no matter how far I travel, I will continue to carry Chirumhanzu in my heart.

From a rural boy with a farming dream to a commercial farmer - that is the journey I am still building.

Knowledge. Discipline. Dignity. Teamwork. Service over money.

By Tatendaishe C. Ukama

Hurudza Mindset

From Chirumhanzu to the wider agricultural world.