Last Saturday, 35 participants, including three guests from outside ZimWorX, gathered at Bunny Estates for a hands-on rabbit farming training session that demonstrated how practical skills can create lasting opportunities. The session combined technical instruction with a closer look at one of The51’s most impactful sustainability initiatives.
The training built on the success of our April programme, where we welcomed 106 first-year students from Gwebi Agricultural College for an immersive rabbit farming course and a subsequent program where 22 team members were hosted. More than simply teaching farming techniques, we partnered with the college to complement classroom learning with real-world experience. Students developed practical skills in breed selection, housing, nutrition, breeding, and disease management while also learning key business principles such as record keeping, cost control, and identifying income opportunities. Our goal was simple: to equip young people with the skills to build sustainable livelihoods.
Located within the Gwebi Agricultural College ecosystem, Bunny Estates has transformed unused land into a thriving rabbitry through ZimWorX’s The51 Initiative. Participants learned how the farm is breeding rabbits to produce high-yield stock while using improved management practices to reduce kit mortality.
The farm also showcases practical innovation. Powered entirely by solar energy, Bunny Estates operates its borehole, electric fencing, offices, and lighting off-grid. Participants also explored how rabbit urine is being developed into an eco-friendly insect repellent and foliar fertilizer, demonstrating how every part of the operation can create both environmental and economic value.
More than a rabbit farm, Bunny Estates is a centre for learning, innovation, and empowerment. Every training session equips aspiring farmers, students, women, pensioners, and community members with practical knowledge that can strengthen food security, generate income, and improve lives. Through initiatives like this, The51 continues to create opportunities that multiply impact and transform lives for generations to come.