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Tawanda
Runganga

Young people must ensure the food security of our continent – and our world.

@ Gates Archive/Jonathan Torgovnik

Tawanda
Runganga

Young people must ensure the food security of our continent – and our world.

Tawanda's Story

I used farming to turn my life around. I am now an Agropreneur, living and working in Harare, Zimbabwe.

I have dedicated my life to teaching women and young people from local communities how to get into farming, believing that agriculture is the route out of a life of crime and destitution. My story began in Harare, where I was brought up by my grandmother, my mother having had to leave Zimbabwe to seek work abroad. Each summer, me and my brother would spend time in rural Seke, where our grandmother would teach us important farming skills – tilling the land, planting and harvesting. I was inspired by my grandmother’s farming experience, but my journey took a turn when, upon her death, I found myself alone, with no support system. This marked a turning point in my life, as I realized that drawing on my grandmother’s entrepreneurial spirit and agricultural experience was my way to make something out of my life.

 

Young people must ensure the food security of our continent – and our world.

 

I attended Midlands State University to study Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, and, inspired by my studies and a training course on cultivating mushrooms, committed myself to a future in agriculture. I am now a full-time Agropreneur, running my own business, Run In’, growing and selling oyster mushrooms, and training aspiring mushroom growers across Zimbabwe.

 

I believe that agriculture can empower young people to provide for themselves and their communities – and help alleviate poverty, ensuring Africa is food secure in line with SDG 2. I am passionate about agricultural development, food security and the role of agriculture in alleviating poverty across Africa. I am currently working on a new project, focused on Black Soldier Flies and the impact they could have on food systems.

Media pack

You can download Tawanda’s story and headshot here. To contact Tawanda about an interview or speaking at an event please contact us.

@ Gates Archive/Jonathan Torgovnik