The Journey: what made me leave city life for kumusha - the highs and lows! After being on many international tours with my performance poetry, I felt and knew poetry alone wasn't enough let alone sustainable.

On many occasions I questioned my purpose, would I only be remembered for my words? I reflected on my work, which mostly highlights the plight of women

Food insecurity was a re -occurring theme, there and there I figured I could be part of the solution to some of the problems I was highlighting with my work. I decided: farming with a small group of women particularly rural, I know the gap between urban and rural,

A hungry mother, who can also not feed her children is vulnerable. I know of women who have stayed in abusive relationships, watched their daughters get abused, the list goes on In this quest I then bumped into

permaculture, a way of farming that's sustainable and can be easily practiced at household level.

Early 2019 I knew for me to work on sustainable living on a community level I needed to have trained as a permaculture designer, I got qualified in Aug 2019 in Mozambique, I did my internship in Berlin. I new that I needed to walk the talk, my mums backyard wasn't enough

I was born and raised in Norton, my family doesn't have any rural land, I think both my grandparents thought they would return to Malawi at some point. From my savings I knew I would manage in a village set up.

So ndakatsvaga musha, that's how I landed in Kutama. Very close to mum in Norton and easy to access Harare, Chinhoyi and Chegutu

I moved to Kutama on 28 Jan 2020. Late 2019 i founded a community organization http://www.bontlebaho.org  . We managed to sink a borehole, local women have access to clean drinking and cooking water. It pained me that women would walk 7km for 20ltres of water,

It's been a journey. A tough one. For a couple of months now we get intruders visiting at night once or twice a week. This is very scary considering it's just a homestead of two young women. We are growing thick skin

Last year we had less rains and got plenty of food, this year with the heavy rains I discovered I am on a wetland. Imagine watching a good crop die. My chibage has suffered so did my cowpeas, beans, pumpkins. I wake up in the mornings with a heavy heart. The beauty is gone

I am also on an anthill, you can imagine how much termites have destroyed most of our plants and veggies. A huge portion of my nzungu has been chowed

This being our 1st yr, we have been trying and trying to get different foods growing on different patches, haven't given up on carrots yet!

Then talk about not having enough tools or man power, we struggle with weeds. Muchipedza kusakura one end the other end has rimwe sora.

Oh not to forget our neighbors goats, they once destroyed the whole veggie garden, we had to start from scratch, I was pissed but we moved on

There is a lot of work that needs to get done. All the development stages need to be financed. I am learning to do one step at a time (the Linda In me wanted the paradise look all in one year)

it's been beautiful Growing organic food, learning, planting trees, learning about herbs and home remedies.Village life has allowed me to be more creative and improvise.have had to really rely on indigenous knowledge on surviving, saving seeds and preservation of food.

I have the opportunity of witnessing beautiful sunsets, listening to the sweet sounds of birds chirping, admiring bees drinking water, I also discovered flame lilies, we got plenty hute and figs.

Being out here has also shown me who my people are. My close ones have visited me. It takes a lot of love to come all the way out, braving the distance and hectic schedules that people have. I have been honored!!!

I am feeling rooted! As a young woman It's calming to wake up knowing you have a home and you are contributing to healing the environment whilst nourishing the people!!!

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