In March 2000 Changemakers reported on the work of visionary and award winning Zepheniah Phiri Maseko (The Water Harvester) and his Zvishavane Water Project :
...in rural Zimbabwe, in a region prone to drought, such an Edenic garden seems to exist. At the farm of Zepheniah Phiri Maseko, crops grow quickly and bountifully, even in drought years, and the abundance on a modest three-hectare homestead is enough to support a family of 15 and raise cash for other expenses...More here
in his fields, this water can be "harvested" to supply enough water to all his crops, trees, and vegetable beds without the need for conventional irrigation. Tiers of stonewall terraces catch and funnel the water from the ruware so that it seeps into the soil, replenishing the ground store.
The terraces trap grass seeds as well creating patches of protective vegetation that also slow and draw water into the soil. Silt traps catch the sand that would otherwise fill the terraces, preventing water absorption.
These rock walls are positioned beneath the ruware or rocky outcrop at the highest point in Phiri's property. They serve to slow down and force the seepage of water into the soil, preventing erosion and runoff.
Some of the water that flows through these terraces is stored in a tank that Phiri built of plaster and brick, which also receives rainwater from gutters that Phiri has built along the roof of his home. After Phiri built the tank, he reconsidered his approach.
"This tank only helps me," he said, "but what I build should help the nation." Now, most of the rain that falls goes into an underground sealed reservoir, where it accumulates throughout the rainy season, adding to the available store of water for Phiri and neighboring farmers.
Along contour lines, which are pegged by agricultural extensionists from the government, ridges must be built by all farmers to harness water and reduce soil erosion. But Phiri has taken this idea much further. Along these ridges he has built what he calls "infiltration pits" that will fill with water before runoff can flow horizontally across the fields.
Once filled, these pits slowly drain water into the soil. During the rainy season these pits often reveal that the water table has risen to less than a meter below the surface. Plants with supporting roots line each pit, protecting them from collapse.
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