For 56-year-old Shylon Ndoro of Mahama Village in Chimanimani District, farming has evolved from a subsistence activity into a growing, market-oriented enterprise. A member of the 11-woman Wonder Fresh Group, Shylon has used opportunities provided through the CAUSEWAY Project to improve her financial management skills, access finance, adopt irrigated production and build stronger links to reliable markets.
Before participating in the project, Shylon and other women farmers in her community faced challenges common to smallholder farmers, including limited access to affordable finance, inadequate business management skills, uncertain markets and vulnerability to climate variability.
Through the CAUSEWAY Project, the Wonder Fresh Group received financial literacy training facilitated by ZADT, covering budgeting, record keeping and enterprise planning. With continued mentorship, the group developed and submitted a bankable business plan to Empower Bank, successfully securing a US$3,300 loan, equivalent to US$300 per farmer.
Shylon used her share of the loan to establish a 0.2-hectare bean enterprise. Following the loan disbursement, she and other group members received additional training in financial management and agricultural production from Syngenta, MWACSMED, ZFC and ZADT, strengthening their capacity to manage farming as a business.
The support began to translate into tangible results when Shylon’s bean production was linked to a ready market at Nedziva Market in Chimanimani. From her 0.2-hectare plot, she harvested 15 buckets of beans, selling each at US$30 and generating US$450 in revenue. Having a known market reduced the risk of post-harvest losses and provided Shylon with income that could be reinvested into her enterprise.
Rather than using the proceeds solely for household consumption, Shylon chose to reinvest in her business. On 14 November 2025, she expanded her production by planting 0.4 hectares of chilli, targeting a contract market with Chilli Pepper Company. This decision demonstrated a shift from short-term subsistence production towards planned enterprise growth and value-oriented farming.
A key factor supporting Shylon’s expansion is the reliable availability of irrigation water at her farming site. Access to water has enabled her to move beyond dependence on rainfall and diversify into higher-value horticultural crops such as beans and chilli. This has strengthened her ability to produce throughout the year and reduce the risks associated with climate variability.
Shylon’s journey demonstrates how access to finance, financial literacy, mentorship, irrigation and reliable markets can work together to strengthen the resilience of women-led agricultural enterprises. The CAUSEWAY Project helped her move from limited access to productive finance towards planned investment, market-linked production and reinvestment for growth.
Her experience illustrates the broader change the project seeks to achieve: enabling women farmers to view agriculture not only as a source of food, but as a viable business capable of generating income, creating resilience and supporting sustainable livelihoods.
“The support gave me the confidence to invest in my farming as a business. After selling my beans, I chose to reinvest in chilli production because I could see an opportunity to grow.”
— Shylon Ndoro, Wonder Fresh Group, Chimanimani