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News / 23 December 2024

Dare to Trust: RWA Eswatini agroecology centre

In the Kingdom of Eswatini, rural women have been the custodians of local and indigenous seeds and preserving biodiversity for generations. Officially founded in 2011, the Swaziland Rural Women’s Assembly (SRWA) has brought together over 20.000 women across the country to reclaim their traditional knowledge of seed sharing. In the Dare to Trust project, the SRWA has developed a new Agroecology Demonstration Center as a learning facility for rural farmers and produced a seed bank to help the 20.000 seed savers in their community. 

Zakithi Sibandze, the national coordinator for the women’s Assembly in Swaziland: “This new Agroecology Demonstration Center will assist us, the rural women in Swaziland, in terms of learning. We learn how to grow ecologically and exchange with other farmers."

The seed bank

Indigenous and local seeds hold immense importance for rural women in Eswatini, as they are central to food sovereignty, biodiversity and cultural heritage. These seeds are adapted to local environments, making them resilient to the effects of climate change, drought, and pests ensuring a sustainable source of food for families. 

Creative report: video

The only administrative duty for the beneficiaries of Dare to Trust was to send a creative report about the activities. RWA Eswatini made this short video of the agroecology centre:

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