THE PROBLEM STATEMENT

Zimbabwe has been facing significant challenges in the energy sector, which has a direct impact on agriculture. The country has been grappling with an energy crisis characterized by frequent power outages, fuel shortages, and limited access to electricity in rural areas. These issues have had adverse effects on the agricultural sector, which heavily relies on energy for
irrigation, mechanization, and processing. Young farmers in Zimbabwe are particularly affected by this energy crisis. The existence of their businesses, food security and profitability are threatened by these power cuts.

 

THE SOLUTION

To address the energy crisis in the agricultural sector, the Harare hub seeks to create the next generation of climate-smart farmers through education and raising awareness in Universities, technical schools and high schools in Harare amongst students studying agriculture and agricultural engineering. The hub came to the realization that raising awareness on the need to adopt renewable sources of energy in the agricultural sector will go a long way in promoting food security and minimize losses by young farmers in Harare. The hub will also work with established actors in the renewable energy and agricultural sector in Zimbabwe to ensure increased awareness and interest among young farmers in renewable energy technologies. This will be achieved by carrying out the activities below.

●      Workshops

This will involve engaging actors in the renewable energy sector and young farmers across Harare in the form of green energy expos. This will have companies in green energy setting up stalls, advertising subsidized renewable energy equipment which can be utilized in the agricultural sector, educating farmers on how they work and creating interest in the shift to green fuels as the future in agriculture. 

 

●      Training sessions

The Harare Hub will partner with the University of Zimbabwe in training and educating students at polytechnic colleges and high schools on the use of renewable energy in agriculture. The partnership will have the University of Zimbabwe ( Faculty of Agriculture) having a few of their students joining the Harare hub in educating students in high schools and polytechnic students around the benefits of green energy and green energy technologies in the agricultural sector.

 

●      Competitions

Green energy competitions will be held at tertiary level (polytechnic schools) and secondary level (high schools). At tertiary level, the Harare Hub plans to engage students in an innovative competition whereby students design equipment which uses renewable energy in the agricultural space. Leveraging on the relationships which the hub has with innovation hubs around Harare, the winning students will be able to pitch their projects for possible funding so that they could scale up on their innovations. At high school level, essay writing competitions will be available on topics around renewable energy sources. The winning essays will be published in the nationalnewspaper.

 

●      Media Awareness

The hub will work with local radio stations including Star FM in promoting dialogue between young farmers, agricultural organisations in Zimbabwe and companies in the renewable energy space. The aim is to assist young farmers with information on climate smart practices in agriculture and to reach the marginalized farmers in the remote parts of Harare. The hub hopes the media awareness would also incentivise our partners to continue wanting to run the project and may likely attract new companies and support to repeat the project flow.

 

Short term goal: 

To raise awareness on the use of solar energy in the agricultural sector. This will be measured by attendance of farmers through social media engagements and expos.

Medium term goal: 

To see farmers in Harare adopt solar power in their various business. This will be measured by the number of farmers who worked with our partners in securing solar power for themselves after the social media campaigns, trainings and expos.

Long term goal: 

A revolution in the agricultural sector in Harare, were farmers adopt and implement solar power, realize their profits and an increase in food security statistics across Harare. This will be measured by annual statistics generated by the Ministry of Agriculture in Zimbabwe.

 

Milestone indicators:

• The number of schools and students approached and educated by the hub: 20 schools

• The nature of partnerships built between the hub and actors in the renewable energy sector: 6

• The number of actors in the renewable energy space who shared their knowledge and skills with students and young farmers around Harare: 12

• The number of farmers benefitting from renewable energy in agriculture including those in the remote areas of Harare: +/- 600

• The number of farmers reached through media awareness campaigns: +/-1000.

Our Impact:

• Conducted an X space introducing our project to potential partners


• Trained and planted trees with primary school children