Our Past Holds the Key to Our Future: Reclaiming Our Plates, Reclaiming Our Health

By Chiyedzo Josiah Dimbo, Ambassador of Hope

The recent headlines are a gut punch, but they are not a surprise. The revelation that Zimbabwe is in the grip of a junk food crisis, with sales of unhealthy processed foods soaring to over US$623 million, is a symptom of a deeper sickness. It is the sickness of disconnection. We have become disconnected from our land, from our traditions, and from the innate wisdom of our ancestors when it comes to nourishment.

As an Ambassador of Hope, I do not see this crisis as an endpoint. I see it as a critical turning point—a clarion call to return home. The solution is not found in distant, imported ideas alone, but in the rich soil of our own heritage. The answer lies on two powerful pillars a triumphant return to our traditional foods and the embrace of a Zero Food Waste mantra.

The Wisdom of Our Ancestral Plate

When we talk about traditional foods, we are not merely speaking of nostalgia. We are discussing a sophisticated, time-tested nutritional system. Think of the diversity and resilience of our traditional diet:

The Mighty Grain Our small grains – *millet (rukweza), sorghum (mapfunde), and rapoko (zviyo)* – are not just “poor man’s food.” They are nutritional powerhouses, rich in iron, fibre, and calcium, and they are naturally gluten-free. They sustained generations with enduring strength.

The Leafy Green Revolution Our indigenous vegetables – *covo, rape, mustard, blackjack (mutsine), spider plant (nyevhe), and pumpkin leaves (muboora)* – are free for those who grow them. They are packed with vitamins and minerals that fortified our bodies against disease.

The Legumes of Life Nyimo, nzembwe (Bambara nuts), and round nuts (nyimo) provided vital protein, making a balanced meal accessible and affordable.

This was a diet designed by life itself for this very environment. It was sustainable, seasonal, and deeply nourishing. The shift to expensive, nutrient-poor processed foods is not progress; it is a step backward for our health and our sovereignty.

The Zero Food Waste Mantra Honouring Every Seed

Our grandparents were the original zero-waste champions. They understood that wasting food was an insult to the labour of the land and the blessings of the ancestors. This philosophy is more critical now than ever. Let us revive these practices:

From Scrap to Soup

Potato and pumpkin peels can be cleaned, seasoned, and baked into crispy snacks or added to stocks. Vegetable tops and stalks are not trash; they are the base for flavourful, nutrient-dense soups.
Preservation, Not Perishing

We have forgotten the art of sun-drying (magaka) and fermenting. Drying surplus tomatoes, leafy greens, and mushrooms ensures we have food during the lean season. Fermenting vegetables like cabbage to make our own versions of sauerkraut is a powerful way to boost gut health and preserve harvests.

Composting is King

The few scraps that truly remain should not go to the landfill. They should return to the earth. Composting creates rich, organic fertilizer for our gardens, completing a sacred cycle of growth, consumption, and rebirth. This reduces the need for expensive chemical fertilizers and builds healthier soil.

A Call to Action: Seeding Hope in Our Communities

This is not just a government issue; it is a communal responsibility. Here is what we can do, starting today:

Start a Dhiga Udye(Grow What You Eat) Movement:

Even a small plot, or containers in a yard, can grow leafy greens and herbs. Let us turn our backyards into pharmacies and our windowsills into gardens.

Empower Our *Tuck-shops*: Instead of seeing them as the enemy, let’s empower them. Can we create networks that supply these shops with affordable, fresh produce from local community gardens? Can we celebrate the *tuck-shop* that sells healthy, traditional snacks?

Teach Our Children Their Heritage
Let us introduce “Traditional Food Days” in schools. Teach children how to grow and cook *nyemba* and *sadza rezviyo*. When a child grows a pumpkin, they will never see it as just a vegetable again; they will see it as a miracle.

Celebrate the Innovators:
Let us support local chefs and food entrepreneurs who are creatively reinventing our traditional dishes for the modern palate.

The UN report is a diagnosis. The cure is in our hands, our soil, and our collective memory. The junk food crisis speaks of poverty, but our response can be one of profound wealth—the wealth of our culture, the wealth of community, and the wealth of health.

Let us choose to remember. Let us choose to grow. Let us choose to waste nothing. In doing so, we are not just feeding our bodies; we are feeding the soul of our nation with hope.