Mercy Shebeleki a champion farmer from Shibuyunji during the agroforestry training at her farm
In April this year, Community Technology Development Trust (CTDT) kickstarted a new project through the Community Initiatives for Sustainable Agriculture Solutions (CISAS) project funded by Kupanda Mbegu, a Foundation from Switzerland. The initiative is now working with rural communities in Shibuyunji and Chirundu, where many farmers continue to face the combined pressure of climate change and a growing reliance on externally supplied seed, chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Over the years, these inputs have contributed to declining soil fertility, environmental damage and increased health concerns, while long dry spells and unpredictable rainfall patterns have left many households vulnerable to food shortages.
At the same time, scattered across these communities are farmers who have already been experimenting with agroecological practices out of personal conviction. CISAS seeks to identify such farmers and support their work, not as passive beneficiaries but as community knowledge holders who can inspire others. The project will support thirty champion farmers already practicing ecological farming in their own fields and strengthen their skills through trainings and resources. Each champion farmer is expected to mentor around fifteen farmers in their area, creating a chain of learning that could reach at least four hundred and fifty farmers within just one project cycle.
The CISAS approach sees farmers not as recipients but as leaders of knowledge.
Over time, CTDT expects this initiative to contribute to healthier soils, more diverse crops, improved nutrition and stronger local seed systems in Shibuyunji and Chirundu. Most importantly, farmers will be better prepared to adapt to climate change without depending heavily on costly and environmentally harmful external inputs. The hope is that the champions will continue teaching and influencing others long after the project ends, creating a growing community of practice that carries forward agroecology as a way of farming rooted in local knowledge, culture and resilience. Already, the champion farmers have begun training follower farmers in practical skills such as agroforestry, soil improvement and the production of organic fertilizers like bokashi and compost. These early activities are building momentum and demonstrating that sustainable farming practices are not only possible but are achievable using local resources and farmer-led knowledge.
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