This case study of an irrigation project implemented by Oxfam and the government of Zimbabwe in Ruti, in Gutu district of Masvingo province, indicates that local adaptation efforts can go a long way, but there is still a danger that people may lose out and their efforts be frustrated unless they are part of a wider supportive political and economic framework. The paper highlights that smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe have always faced extreme weather variability, periodically throwing lives into disarray, ruining livelihoods and increasing poverty. Yet with the right kind of support, hardworking smallholder farmers can achieve remarkable increases in production, realize great improvements to their lives and become much more resilient to weather extremes. However, the paper makes the point that climate change is going to bring more shocks in the shape of even greater extremes – both more frequent and serious droughts and more intense rainfall.