Tenda Banana Plantation: A Success Story Supported by World Vision Zimbabwe
In 2020, Tenda Primary School in Gokwe, Zimbabwe, faced a major challenge. Parents were struggling to pay school fees for their children, leaving many unable to attend. The school, determined to help their community, came up with an innovative solution: an income-generating project in the form of a banana plantation.
Named Tenda Banana Plantation, the project was supported by World Vision Zimbabwe, which supplied all the necessary inputs, including security fencing, seeds, and fertilizers. World Vision also installed a piped water system at the school, which is used to water the plantation.
According to Milton Mano, Teacher in Charge at Tenda Primary School, "We want to thank World Vision for helping us on this plantation. They supplied all the inputs including the security fence seeds and fertilisers. World Vision also installed a piped water system at our school that is used to water the plantation and also the knowledge on how to run the plantation."
With 1,400 banana plants on 0.7 hectares of land, Tenda Banana Plantation is expected to yield 60 kilograms of bananas per plant. If sold at 30 cents per kilogram, the school is expecting to earn more than US$20,000 on their first harvest.
"We are also looking forward to starting other projects like beekeeping, poultry, and fish farming from the proceeds of our first harvest of the plantation. We also want to expand the plantation," says Mano.
Tenda Banana Plantation is not only generating income for the school but also providing a valuable learning opportunity for the children. Students are involved in all aspects of the plantation, from planting to harvesting, and are learning valuable skills in agriculture and entrepreneurship.
The success of Tenda Banana Plantation is a testament to the power of community-driven development and the potential of income-generating projects to transform lives. With the support of organizations like World Vision Zimbabwe, communities can create sustainable solutions that have a lasting impact on their lives and the lives of future generations.