The youth participation in wards 4, 9 and 15 Mutoko District has improved in a manner that the Disaster and Environmental Management Trust, Zimbabwe Smallholder Organic Farmers Forum, Traditional Leadership and Mutoko Rural District has commented.

The youths in stated wards have been affected heavily with poverty and end up in indulging in prostitution at early age, child marriages. Ward 15 of Makaha is known to be a hub of mining in the district and those with their full pockets would drag minors who are coming from underprivileged families into prostitution.

This was a vice as stated during the workshop at Ruchera Resort and Headman Kuwere stated that at least there is reduction of child marriages, prostitution due to the farming activities that was brought by Zimbabwe Smallholder Organic Farmers Forum in collaboration with other partners, Disaster and Environmental Management Trust, Action Aid and so on in the ward.

Ward 4, 9 and 15 has benefited in Agroecology. According to United Nations, Agroecology is an integrated approach simultaneously applies ecological and social concepts and principles to the design and management of food and agricultural systems. It is stated in justice and rights framework, it seeks to minimize external inputs and optimize sustainable interactions between plants, animals and the broader environment.

Through this method or approach ward 4, 9 and 15 are said to have food in the District that can contribute to some extent even if the nation was declared state of disaster in 2024 due to the El-Nino linked drought. Agroecology has helped the wards even through the gifted inputs from the Presidential Scheme, Pfumvudza/Intwasa.

The youth confirmed with satisfaction that, they are occupied with farming, anything besides farming would put them to prostitution, drug abuse and other related social vices and ills which they have fought against.

Marvelous Chimana, a 25 year old who is a beneficiary from Zimbabwe Smallholder Organic Farmers Forum is doing very well with her farming. She grows green beans, pumpkin leaves, onions, beans and watermelons. She also does poultry rearing pigs, and rabbits at her small space given by parents.

Also a youth by the name Talent Humanikwa a beneficiary of Agroecology in the same Village Kawere is rearing road-runner chickens and farming vegetables, pumpkin leaves. She narrated that if it was not the drought season that the whole nation has experienced, water shortages in wells have reduced their hopes of planting more crops.