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“A wetland is like a savings account,” Agnes Manjonjo tells younger women. “If you protect it today, it gives you water, food and money when the rains fail tomorrow.”

At 56 years old, married with 4 children and 3 grandchildren, most people in Bhuza Village, Ward 9, Bikita District would say Agnes had “done her part.” Yet she thought differently. For her, the most meaningful work was not behind her, it was still ahead, waiting to be realised.

Kurumwaune Wetland was on the verge of collapse. Livestock grazing, tree cutting, and farming in its spongy centre were stripping away its life. For the 155 community members from more than 15 villages, the problem was clear but the solution was not. That changed when Agnes was elected Secretary of the wetland committee.

Agnes refused to be a Secretary in name only. She became the driver of action. Under her leadership, the community pegged the ten hectare boundary, dug holes, and erected a sturdy fence lined with ten strands of barbed wire. This was not the work of government contractors it was the sweat of farmers, mothers, and youths, mobilized by Agnes through careful planning and steady meetings. “We had to talk to every household. If one person cuts the fence, the cattle will still enter,”she explains. She engaged everyone EMA, Agritex, Local Government, village heads, and even the herd boys.

Today, Kurumwaune Wetland stands protected, thanks to the support from Christian Care with funding from The Charitable Foundation. No more tilling in the centre. No more forest burning. No more overgrazing in the dry season. The wetland is healing, and nature is reclaiming its course. Families will have new income streams: youth will venture into apiculture and fisheries, women will sell horticultural produce when maize fields run dry, and grandchildren like Agnes’s three will grow up knowing what a healthy wetland looks like.

Ask Agnes why she succeeded, and she points to the community, not herself. Yet everyone across 15 villages knows the truth: it was her mobilization, her precision during pegging and fencing, and her conviction that conservation is not the job of Non Governmental Organisations it is survival. At 56, Agnes is proving that leadership has no age limit. She is not just a Secretary on paper. She is the reason 155 families now have a future fenced in.

Compiled by: Taruberekera Regismistong N (Project Officer)

05 June 2026 | Chapedo Wetland, Bikita District, Masvingo Province

Christian Care participated in the 2026 Provincial World Environment Day Commemoration, held at Chapedo Wetland, Ward 5, Makuvaza, Bikita District, under the global theme “Climate Action for Our Future.” The event brought together government representatives, development partners, civil society organisations, traditional leaders, schools, and community members to celebrate practical solutions to climate change.The selection of Chapedo Wetland as the provincial venue reflects the remarkable progress made in restoring the ecosystem. This was done through a community-driven initiative that was supported by Christian Care Zimbabwe, with funding from Act for Peace and The Charitable Foundation since 2022.

The key achievements of the project include the protection of 7 hectares of wetland through barbed-wire fencing, the construction of a weir to regulate water flow, development of a 2 hectare community irrigation scheme, establishment of 35 community managed beehives. The restored wetland now recharges the community dam, which has been stocked with tilapia fingerlings that are already breeding. The irrigation garden is producing chilli crops under contract through partnerships with CESVI and Agritex.

During the programme, Christian Care expressed its appreciation to the Government and all stakeholders for selecting Chapedo Wetland as the provincial host site and presented the project’s journey—from its degraded state to its ongoing restoration. The presentation highlighted the collective contributions of the community, government departments, and development partners, as well as the project’s positive environmental and socio-economic impact. With an estimated 650 participants, including 400 school children and 250 community members—75% of whom were women—the commemoration served as a powerful demonstration of community ownership and collective action. It provided an opportunity to showcase how local initiatives align with national environmental objectives while strengthening accountability, sustainability, and resilience to climate change.

Christian Care remains committed to working alongside communities and partners to restore ecosystems, improve livelihoods, and build a more sustainable future for generations to come.

Mrs S Matava with broom in hand, demonstrating on effective refuse clearing. She also gave a talk on importance of proper refuse collection and disposal, and the building of relationship and roles and responsibilities between City Council Street Cleaners and Community Health Club Volunteers.More pictures on what Ward 8 Community Health Club Volunteers are doing, with City Council providing backstopping support. Together we can go beyond what we can imagine!

Christian Care in partnership with the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development, Department of Social Development, ZRP Victim Friendly Unit, AGRITEX and local community is conducting a SGBV prevention training workshops in ward 27 and 29 of Chivi District. The campaigns are alongside the Worldwide efforts to prevent SGBV under the 16 Days of activism against Gender based violence.