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Agriculture
Due to poverty, sometimes farmers are forced to grow cash crops that demand high inputs, such as tobacco. This further marginalize families into deeper poverty as they borrow money to maintain the crop. Moreover, some of the crop’s reliance on firewood (in the case of tobacco to cure the leaves) has potential to destroy the environment.
TTI helps interested farmers diversify their agricultural investments by offering added training in crop rotation, poultry and egg production, and more. Agribusiness opportunities will help farmers maintain sustainable, successful farms.
Horticulture
TTI Agriculture is designed to demonstrate, pilot and train local farmers in vegetable production (horticulture) using drip irrigation—improved crop integrated agriculture and sustainable management of their resources.
Poultry Production
TTI works with women local farmers and trains them in poultry and egg production.
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Eco Lodges
In the past few years Dr. Trent has received many requests for visits to Matau. However, due to lack of adequate guest housing, TTI’s ability to grant visits and exchanges has been severely limited. In response to this demand, TTI plans to build Eco Lodges, which will open up opportunities for supporters to visit Matau in order to become involved in research and service projects.
The local community will then have increased access to skilled and knowledgeable professionals who can provide development assistance in the areas of public health, literacy, and community development, among other opportunities. The Eco Lodges will also host reading camp volunteers, making this project one step closer to reaching our educational goals. Finally, the Eco-Lodges will house university interns and exchange program students — so they can learn more about and participate in our Foundation work.
Matau Trade Center
Matau Trade Center is a vital business unit for boosting local economy and improving life long market skills needed by the community. Designed with an auctioning floor where produce is sold, it serves as the purchase point for bulk buyers, and will provide the grain, vegetables and other produce needed for the school canteen.
The Matau Trade Center serves as a focal point for meeting and training local farmers, and also houses artisans and traders who participate in the economic transformation of the community. Tererai Trent International Foundation also envision the Matau Trade Center as a place where recently graduated high school students can be apprenticed as artisans and learn a trade.
Matau Sun Bakery
Matau Sun Bakery is a start-up income-generating project that is intended to run as a for-profit bakery business out of the Matau Primary School Canteen. While some of the bakery products will find their way into the Matau Canteen to facilitate the feeding of more than 1,200 students daily, some of the bakery products will be sold to local businesses at a wholesale price. Once the bread has been produced using the sun’s energy, it will be immediately sold for cash. Bread is a major breakfast component and a staple in both rural and urban Zimbabwe. Presently, some Matau residents are traveling an average of 3 kilometers to buy bread because current deliveries made by the competition are not able to match demand. The market for these products consists mainly of the local business center, school staff and the local Matau population, who are already underserved and in need of the bakery products.
The Matau Sun Bakery will generate both rent and profits which can be ploughed back into the community to provide for the upkeep of the canteen, the repairs and maintenance that will be required for the school and capital for other income-generating projects. Zimbabwe is noted as one of the best destinations for solar projects in the whole world. This is an exciting project and can serve as a positive example for a country that has been struggling to provide sufficient energy for its population and industries.
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DESIGNING OPPORTUNITY FOR WOMEN & GIRLS
Jewelry & Beadwork Project
Women’s empowerment is achieved when women are able to provide for themselves, their families and even their communities. One of Tererai Trent International’s goals is to place resources, skills and technology into the hands of women, so they can create sustainable income streams that are dependable.
The TTI Jewelry and Beadwork Project is not only designed to provide women with an opportunity to create income, but also to enable them to become proud sponsors of their local schools, supporting the education of their children and future generations. By participating in jewelry and beadwork training, women gain new trade skills that will improve their income, support the local schools and grow the larger community.
Tererai Trent hid her dreams and a promise to give back to her community under a beautiful Zimbabwe stone, and the stone protected her dreams while she spun her brilliant future. These Dream Stones are an offering to share Dr. Trent’s vision, a precious symbol to inspire you to believe in your own dreams.
All proceeds go directly toward expanding skills and opportunities for women as well as growing educational opportunities for children in Zimbabwe.
TTI Dream Stones Jewelry, coming soon!
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