When family and food regenerate life
The story of Nomagugu Chieza from Mutare, Zimbabwe
In Mutare, Zimbabwe, Nomagugu Chieza transformed a personal experience into collective action. Inspired by Indigenous wisdom and the strength of her family, she founded Impilo Organics, a company that produces organic food and cosmetics to nourish the community, in both body and consciousness.
All of its products are made without pesticides, chemicals, or synthetic fertilizers, offering healthy alternatives that fight malnutrition and promote organic agriculture that respects biodiversity and life.
“Impilo (in Ndebele) means ‘life.’ Life is how we embrace, collaborate, and connect. It’s about relationships, biodiversity, working together, connecting, and seeing how every aspect of our lives benefits from it.”
This summarizes the essence of her vision: life understood as collaboration, connection, and reciprocity with nature. Nomagugu is convinced that this balanced relationship is the true engine of abundance. Every action and care for the agricultural land and the community generates more well-being for everyone.
A family effort
This vision was born at home, when her mother-in-law saw improvements in her health after switching to a diet of Indigenous and organic products. Since then, Nomagugu and her children – Nnandi, Thandiwe, and Jessie – have been working with women and young allies to produce baobab essential oils, juices, beetroot lip balms, resurrection bush tea, coffee, nuts, and even innovative products such as vegan sausages made from nyemba (cowpeas).
Each product reflects the nutritional and cultural potential of Zimbabwe’s ancestral foods, while honoring the farmland through 100% natural practices. More than a business venture, Impilo is a life project that educates, inspires, and empowers. It aims to demonstrate that food is not just about filling stomachs, but about understanding what we eat and how it impacts the community’s health and the region’s future.
By integrating her family into the value chain, Nomagugu teaches them to put their passion at the service of the community, making them role models for other children and adults in their own right. At Impilo, parenting and community life intertwine: growing up means sharing, and sharing multiplies well-being.
Impilo Organics embodies the values of the Urban Futures Program: resilience, cooperation, solidarity, and respect for the environment and cultural heritage. This project demonstrates that food systems can be regenerative when they place dignity, youth, and community at their core. Because every act of caring for the earth is an act of love for humanity, and true well-being comes from the balance between people and nature. When we honor and protect the earth, we also care for our community and build a more just and healthy future for all.
