The Gender Action Learning System (GALS) is a household planning method that helps farming families turn assets they already own into a shared, staged plan. In Zimbabwe’s Dande Valley, one young farmer used it to convert a livestock herd into a house, a goat-meat business and a role teaching other farmers.
This is the story of Geylody Karuru of Chiriseri Village, Ward 33, in the Dande Valley of Mount Darwin District.
The starting point: assets without a plan
At 30, Geylody had livestock, energy and ambition — but no clear direction. Living with his parents, he measured progress largely by the size of his herd:
- 23 goats
- 17 chickens
- 15 sheep
- 29 turkeys
By most local measures that is a successful young farmer. But he had not yet turned those assets into a plan for building an independent life with his wife and family. The herd was a scoreboard, not a strategy.
What GALS training changed
In 2025, Geylody took part in agroecology training supported by Gender Action Learning System (GALS) methods, delivered through APT together with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Community and SME Development (MWACSMED) and Agritex.
Crucially, the planning was done jointly by husband and wife. Together they developed a five-year household vision:
- move out of his parents’ home
- build their own three-roomed house on allocated land
- solarise the house
- buy a fridge
- start a goat-meat business serving the local community
“We were hesitant to leave mum and dad’s home, but vision outperformed comfort.”
Turning livestock into a first step
To begin, the family made a deliberate decision to sell down part of their small livestock and use the proceeds to start building. This is the pivot the story turns on: treating animals as working capital for a plan rather than as a store of status.
Today the household has relocated and is living in its new three-roomed house, though it is not yet fully complete.
Building the enterprise step by step
Rather than waiting until he could afford a fridge outright, Geylody rented one. That let him start processing and selling goat meat to the community immediately, generating income while working toward solarising the household and eventually buying his own fridge.
What matters most is not the income alone but the shift in mindset behind it: assets are no longer simply counted, they are actively used to achieve a shared household vision.
From learner to champion
Geylody was later selected as an Agroecology and GALS champion, helping other farmers apply these ideas in practice.
“APT’s trainings were our wake-up call. At first I was hesitant to stand before other farmers, but now I do so with confidence, living the life I teach.”
What this story shows
Change does not always begin with a large asset or an external grant. Sometimes it begins with a household vision, shared decision-making between spouses, and the confidence to put existing assets to work.
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Related: How APT works with smallholder farmers · Our impact · More resources and insights